


Four times the Ladybug magic teleported Marinette to where she would be safest, and the one time she was already there

by EditorOfEverything



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Alfred Pennyworth is a Saint, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alya Césaire Bashing, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Awesome Nino Lahiffe, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Batman Identity Reveal, Bisexual Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Bisexual Nino Lahiffe, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, CEO Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain is Batgirl, Class Issues, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fear, Fix-It, Good Parents Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, How Do I Tag, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Lila Rossi salt, Manipulative Lila Rossi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Better, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Happiness, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Gets Support, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Gets a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has a Bad Day, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Minor Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake, Miraculous Holder Nino Lahiffe, My First AO3 Post, My First Fanfic, My First Work in This Fandom, Nathalie Sancoeur Does Not Get Paid Enough, Nathalie Sancoeur Redemption, Nightmares, Nino Lahiffe Knows, Not Beta Read, POV Multiple, POV Third Person, Panic Attacks, Peacock Nathalie Sancoeur | Mayura, Platonic Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Platonic Soulmates, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Protective Alfred Pennyworth, Protective Bruce Wayne, Protective Damian Wayne, Protective Dick Grayson, Protective Jason Todd, Protective Nathalie Sancoeur, Protective Parents, Protective Siblings, Resurrected Jason Todd, Romantic Soulmates, Sick Nathalie Sancoeur, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Turtle Nino Lahiffe | Carapace, ill add more tags as I go, romantic soulmates daminette
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:27:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27270427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EditorOfEverything/pseuds/EditorOfEverything
Summary: This is part one in a five part series. I have never actually completed a fic before, so this is kind of my NaNoWriMo goal for myself, I guess... So, without further ado, here is five times the Ladybug magic teleported Marinette to where she would be safest, and the one time she was already there—Part One.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Comments: 167
Kudos: 801





	1. Part One

When Tim Drake started his nightly shift in the Batcave with a pot of coffee in hand and a research project in the works, he didn’t expect a magical portal to spit out a ladybug themed superhero at the Batmobile with a cut off scream.

He froze as the swirling red portal disappeared and the hero that made a dent in the Batmobile stopped moving. He reached over and pushed the SOS button that would alert the others that something was wrong before grabbing his coffee mug as a weapon and heading over towards the girl.

She was small, was his first discovery. Probably shorter and younger than Damian, and yet she was wearing a bright red suit over her curled body and a mask over her closed eyes. She was hurt, and Tim didn’t know what to do. He hadn’t slept in over a week and the brain cells that were left were combusting at the sight of a child crumbled on the floor after playing the hero game.

He sucked in a breath and froze at the puddle of blood starting to pool under her head. The crashing of glass broke him out of his stupor and he barely noticed his favorite mug broken on the floor beside him before he threw himself at the girl’s side and eased her onto her back so he could look her over. All he could do was breathe a sigh of relief when he could feel her pulse beating weakly. He tried her mask first, and, after discovering that it wouldn’t budge from her skin, he realized that whatever magic she possessed would prevent him from checking her for injuries.

He brushed her hair out of her face and saw the bruises and scrapes all over before he checked her head. Her lips parted in a small cry when he touched a tender spot and he cursed at his red coated fingers when he pulled away.

“What the hell is it now, Drake? Do you even know what time it is?” Jason walked over with Alfred on his tail and rested his hand on Tim’s shoulder, startling him. “What’s up-? Who the fuck is _that_?”

“She teleported here. She’s… Jay, she’s hurt really bad and she’s some type of magic so I don’t even know how hurt she is and-” A beep interrupted his rant and they both looked for the source on her.

“Alfred, get the first aid kit and get the others in here.”

“Of course, Master Jason.”

~

“All I’m saying, Father, is that maybe if we put him through a rehab system, these ridiculous late night emergencies would decrease.”

“They’re not all hallucinations, Damian. We haven’t had an incident since last month.”

“Until now,” Damian huffed as he and his father ran into Alfred who was carrying a first aid kit, some blankets, and some towels.

“Was Tim injured, Alfred?”

“No, Master Bruce. There seems to be an intruder in the Batcave. I believe Master Tim and Master Jason are currently trying to assess her for injuries, but it seems she is of the magical variety and her suit is giving them some trouble.”

Damian was already sprinting to the cave while Bruce grabbed some of the items from Alfred and walked with him to the group of his kids kneeling around a small figure on the ground.

Damian saw the dent in the Batmobile before he saw the girl and actually stopped in surprise. “ _She_ did _that_?”

Bruce followed behind him and made a surprised noise as well before moving towards Tim and Jason’s side. “What happened?”

“A portal opened up and she was thrown into the Batmobile. She’s been unconscious the whole time. Her head is bleeding and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has a concussion. I can tell she’s hurt more, but we can’t take off her suit to check.”

Jason placed a towel under her head and she moaned at the movement, her eyes fluttering.

“She has these earrings that have been beeping for the past three minutes. I think they might be where she gets her powers from. They seem to be timing out.”

A final beeping noise echoed throughout the cave before a bright pink shine encased her body, revealing a small girl. She had blackish-blue hair tied in falling pigtails, pale skin that was speckled with bruises and lacerations. Her clothes looked impeccable, though the blood from her wounds was starting to soak into her red sundress.

“What the actual fuck is that?” Jason spotted a round, red figure moving on the girls collarbone.

The bat family took in the little red bug as it sat up and shook its head before seeming to notice the girl she was on.

“ _Marinette_!” the thing spoke and Tim clutched Damian’s arm with an urgency that startled him.

“Please tell me you heard that thing talk.” Damian patted Tim’s hand lightly.

“You are not alone in hearing the kwami talk, Master Tim.” Alfred straightened up at the sight of the mystical being fretting over her charge’s unresponsive body.

“Kwami?” Bruce muttered under his breath, looking to Alfred for answers.

“Tikki, Goddess of Creation,” Alfred pressed his fist into his hand and bowed towards her, “how may we assist you?”

Tikki turned her wide eyes to Alfred and floated up to him. “Please help her! She’s more hurt than I can heal, and the fight is still waging on! Without Ladybug, the entire team will fail!”

Bruce straightened up at that and turned to his sons. “Jason, Tim, keep pressure on her head wound and wrap up any minor lacerations. She’s lost too much blood. Damian, come with me so we can get some more supplies for Miss Marinette.”

“Father, a word, please?” Bruce paused as soon as they exited the cave and were heading for the kitchen with a list of things Alfred told them to grab like water, cookies, and something light for Marinette when she would wake up. Damian had gotten better with being open and calm with his family for a while, but it still took time to unlearn years of life being taught one way for so long.

“What is it, Damian?”

“I… I know everyone’s concerned about the girl—I am too—but has anyone thought of what will happen if she wakes up? Will she recognize the Batcave? Will we reveal our identities to her, especially since she’s been forcefully revealed to us? What if she doesn’t wake up? How will we explain how a foreign girl ended up in Gotham?”

“These are all good questions, Damian, and I’m glad you’re able to share your concerns with me. In this matter, though… I believe we’ll just take Alfred’s que for right now. If at any point you feel uncomfortable with your identity being discovered when Miss Marinette wakes up, then you can leave and we’ll fill you in later.”

Damien’s silence carried into the kitchen as Bruce started handing things to him to take back.

“I’ll go back,” Damien finally said as Bruce pulled the cookie jar off the cabinet, planning on taking the whole thing. Who knew how much those kwamis could eat? Bruce certaintly didn’t, and the fact they were magic too didn’t help him any. “I think… Alfred usually knows best, and I trust his judgement… As well as the rest of the family’s. I want to make sure the girl is okay firsthand, and we can go from there.”

Bruce felt a wave of affection and pride towards his son, and wished Damian would look him in the eyes, but he would settle with placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Then, let’s go give them a hand, son.”

~

Bruce and Damian joined the group quickly enough to arrive just as Tikki and Alfred were starting their own conversation while Jason and Tim assisted the girl. Damian stood with his father, both with their guard up in case someone could possibly track Marinette and Tikki down. Magic, they agreed before they entered the room, is a fickle thing, and they didn’t want to take any chances of their family, or their sudden patient, to be caught off guard.

“You were a previous Miraculous holder, weren’t you? I can sense your bright soul. Who was your chosen?” Tikki asked, hovering just over Marinette’s collarbone. Alfred didn’t know if it was because she was protective of the girl or injured herself, but he felt it too rude to ask directly of the tiny god.

“Duusu, the Peafowl Miraculous of Emotion. We were separated after a year of us working together, and I never knew what happened to him or Nooroo, who was taken as well.” Alfred could tell Master Bruce and the boysr were listening intently on their conversation, but wouldn’t interrupt. Detectives they might be, but Alfred raised Master Bruce, and they, in turn, raised the boys to have manners. He could sense their questions piling up, but was confident they would save them for after they delt with Marinette’s most pressing wounds.

“Unfortunately, they ended up in the wrong hands. It’s why Ladybug and Chat Noir were called together in the first place. Marinette has made excellent work in finding and defeating Hawkmoth, but there has been too many obstacles in her way lately. She’s been through a lot…” Tikki turned on to face Marinette and Alfred was overcome at the overwhelming sense of sadness emanating from Tikki.

“We will do all we can for her,” he choked out, and shook his head at Jason and Tim, who paused at the catch in Alfred’s voice. “For such a young child to be a holder though…” Tikki sat on Alfred’s shoulder as Tim and Jason started wrapping Marinette’s head gently and patched up some larger cuts she had on her side. Her ribs were likely broken if the mottled bruised running down her side were anything to go by, and her ankle seemed to be sprained, if not broken as well.

“The previous Guardian made a rushed decision on who to choose for the Miraculous. It just so happens that Marinette is the one soul in this lifetime that resonates with mine. Despite her age, she has become one of the best Ladybugs I’ve had the honor of assisting, and she is now the Guardian of the Miraculous Box as well.”

“Guardian? She’s a Guardian as well? How could that be?”

“The previous Guardian’s identity was compromised by Hawkmoth, the villain with the butterfly miraculous. He’s been terrorizing Paris for almost three years now. Marinette had to step in as Guardian or the Miraculous Box would be lost.”

"Tikki…

” The girl winced away from Jason and Tim’s hands and she whimpered.

“Tikki…” Bruce began in a steely tone, “how old is Miss Marinette?”

“She’s turning eighteen in a few months. I know she’s young, and I hate to put so much on her shoulders, but she’s the only one who can be Ladybug, and competent enough to be Guardian. She’s intelligent, strong emotionally and physically, and her heart is pure. She is the embodiment of what Ladybug is supposed to be.” After that speech, Damian took a breath and knelt down between Todd and Drake to assist. They still didn’t know everything, which could be dangerous for them, but Damian felt that if he were to take a chance on anyone, it would be this girl that was worthy of so much power and responsibility.

As soon as Damian brushed his fingers against her wrist to check for a break, however, the girl suddenly seized up and Damian jolted his hand away. Tikki gave him a strange look before floating over to her chosen.

“ _Tikki!_ ” Marinette shot up, instantly collapsing with her head pressed into her knees with a groan. Tikki nudged Marinette cheek with her head reassuringly.

“ _It’s ok, Marinette. We’re safe for now. Please lie down or you’ll hurt yourself more_.”

“ _Safe…? But where are we? School?_ ”

“ _I believe that a Ladybug power was activated when Mayura cornered you. It teleported you to where you would be safest in the world_.”

“ _Safest_?” Marinette looked around and seemed to panic at the group of men surrounding her. “ _Oh my god, who are these people?! Did they see me transform? Tikki, you’re supposed to stay hidden_!”

“ _Excuse me, Miss Marinette, but you can rest assured that you and Tikki are safe here_.” Alfred rested a gentle hand on her arm, and she immediately relaxed. “I know first-hand the challenges of being a Miraculous holder, and we will do everything in our power to assist you if need be.”

For a moment, Marinette seemed paralyzed. She was looking at Alfred unfocusedly, as if she was seeing right through him. Suddenly, she met his eyes and started speaking a language only the three could understand.

“ _You have the soul of emotion and light. Touched by one who has been stolen and corrupted. You have my trust and thanks for your assistance, young Peafowl_.” Marinette stated in an ancient, unfamiliar language before blinking out of her haze and nearly falling to one side if Damian hadn’t grabbed her and kept her propped up.

“Sorry,” she blinked slowly and focused on Alfred again, “I’m still getting used to that.”

“Your trust in me is an honor, my lady Guardian, but I doubt I can be considered very young anymore,” Alfred said with some humor in his voice. Marinette smiled warmly at him and, with the help of Damian, Jason, and Tim, eased back onto a few blankets and some towels to cushion her beating head.

“Damian, pass some water over,” Tim asked, still checking over Marinette’s head. Damian did so, being uncharacteristically silent during the entire conversation.

“My head is fine,” Marinette said in a thick accent. “I believe I hit it after I have been teleported, not during the battle.”

“You speak English very well, Miss,” Bruce praised, leading to Jason cooing at her blush.

“Ah, well, it’s important to be able to communicate with tourist during akuma attacks. I’m afraid I haven’t had much practice, though. And it’s definitely not as good as your French.” Marinette gave a shy, kind smile to Alfred.

“What did I hit my head on, anyways? I’ve been thrown before, but I’ve never hit anything so hard that I’ve passed out and detransformed.”

The resounding silence echoed throughout the room and Marinette took a breath before sitting up properly and keeping her gaze steady at the ground.

“Whatever it is, I don’t want to know. Don’t even tell me your names.”

“Miss?”

“I’m a superhero fighting an evil villain with magic jewelry, I know the awkward ‘I have a secret I can’t tell you’ silence. I haven’t exactly been on this side of the conversation much though. I understand. Just let me catch my breath and I’ll be out of your hair.”

“’Catch your breath?’ You have a concussion! And broken ribs! You can’t fight like this!” Jason was getting too worked up, but this was a child.

“Yes, I can. Just give me a minute. I’ve fought in worse conditions, and I’ll be better once I can reverse the damage.”

“Reverse the damage?” Damian said, and was almost disappointed when Marinette didn’t look at him directly. She wasn’t looking at any of them, except for Alfred, in the face. Deniability, most likely, but definitely not what he was initially expecting when he decided to stay with his family despite the chances of being recognized.

“Tikki?” Marinette said, and rested her head against the Batmobile while she started poking at her wounds.

“I give Marinette many powers. One of which is the power of the Miraculous Ladybug. It reverts ay damage done by a kwami instantaneously. In fact, the dent in your motorized vehicle should be back to normal as well once the battle is won.”

“ _Tikki, I need to know how the fight is going. Be stealthy and take a look, and grab Kaalki. I’ll need him to teleport back to Paris. I don’t want to risk using whatever power got me here in the first place_.”

“ _I’ll be right back_!” Tikki turned towards Alfred and patted him gently on the cheek. “I leave my chosen in your hands, Alfred. Look after her, please.”

“Of course, Tikki.”

“Thank you, _young Peafowl_.” Alfred returned her smile instantly before Tikki disappeared through the floor.

~

“So, let’s play ‘Do I Have a Concussion 20 Questions!’” Jason announced after he and Tim propped her up between them, leaning against the dent in the Batmobile.

Damian sat in front of them while Bruce and Alfred had moved over to the Batcomputer to try and do some research into the Miraculous themselves.

Marinette giggled and focused herself from closing her eyes by chipping at her black nail polish.

“So question number one: what is your name?” Tim was holding the broken handle of his coffee mug in his fist and was talking into it like it was a microphone.

“Marinette, but you already knew that,” Marinette said in a teasing tone.

“True, but this is if you know your name, not for us, little lady,” Jason bumped her shoulder with his gently and she giggled again.

They went through a few questions that were vague enough not to uncover her identity completely, but still show that she had her wits about her. Where are you from? Paris, of course. Do you go to public, private, or home school? Public! I hate homeschooling. Do you live with your parents? Yeah… oh I left my phone with my stuff at school. They’re probably worried sick. Do you have a job?

“Oh!” Marinette suddenly exclaimed, jolting where she sat. “Maman and Papa are going to be so disappointed if I can’t get home in time to watch the bakery! They’re going on a date tonight, and we have three orders to fill… I wonder if I can get Chloe to push their reservation…”

Jason shared an apologetic look with Tim when they realized how much she just let out. Damian was alarmed. She didn’t even seem to notice how much she just gave away about herself during her rambling.

“Why are you telling us all of this?” Damian finally asked after a moment of silence. He didn’t understand this girl. She was in a strange place, surrounded by strangers, and willing to avoid looking at them or around to keep them comfortable with their secrets, and the she goes and basically tells them where she lives.

“I know it might not makes sense, but as Ladybug and Guardian, I can sense things most people can’t, and I’ve learned to trust myself above all. My powers brought me here because I’m safe, and I can sense that you all have pure souls. You two even have souls saturated in Destruction energy… The Black Cat’s energy. It balances my own soul out well… How did you come across a Lazurus pit?”

Jason and Damian jolt and look at each other. Bruce was at Damian’s side in the next moment. “How do you know about the Lazurus pits?” He asked in a cautious tone, though Marinette didn’t seem to notice. She was still picking at her nail polish and Damian had a moment of irritation at the flaky mess until he realized she was probably doing it to keep her focus off of them.

“I am Guardian, and Tikki’s chosen. I know everything there is to know about the Miraculous, though I only recall the information when I needs to be used. When the Ladybug and Cat’s miraculous are combined, the holder may make a wish. One of those wishes was to be immortal. The Lazurus pits were created out of that wish, but the price was heavy. To manipulate a soul into bearing life after one should die… it leaves a mark—mentally, physically, emotionally… Most of the Lazurus pits were destroyed to restore balance, but some still remain in this world to keep the balance of what was already taken as its price. If they were all to be destroyed, something else in the world would have to be as well to keep balance.”

The resounding silence in the room felt suffocating, but Marinette just smiled reassuringly and brushed her dress down. Damian suddenly noticed that he felt… calmer in her presence than he usually would with someone he met barely twenty minutes ago.

Marinette’s voice brought him out of his thoughts once more. “Tikki is coming back.”

The kwami suddenly appeared a moment later with another one right behind her. Marinette smile and held out her hand.

“Hello, Kaalki.”

“My Lady,” Kaalki purred, floating around her hand.

“The fight is still going, Marinette. Chat Noir and Queen Bee are playing decoy and distraction. I informed them that you had been transported away for your safety and that we would be present for the fight soon. Hawkmoth and Mayura can’t end the fight and get what they want without Ladybug present, and Chat Noir and Queen Bee are smart enough not to let them leave or capture them while you’re gone. Both sides are playing it safe and waiting for your return.” During Tikki’s rundown, Marinette slowly but surely began to stand on her own, leaning against the Batmobile.

“Well, let’s give them an entrance they won’t forget. Are they all still at the Tower?”

“Yes. Chat Noir has followed your direction to keep them centered there well.”

“Good. Tikki, spots on. Kaalki, Tikki, merge.” The family all stood and watched in amazement and shock as Marinette glowed that same pink hue before the red and black spotted heroine stood before them.

“Your injuries are still there.” Damian broke the silence to his family’s surprise. “You should be careful and finish your battle quickly to minimize your injuries until you can heal.”

Marinette seemed surprised, focusing on his shirt, the closest she’s gotten to looking his in the eyes the entire time she had been there. He almost… wanted her to. He wanted to look directly into her bright blue eyes and let her see him as he saw her… He shook himself out of that embarrassing train of thought just as Ladybug said something that caused a portal to appear.

“Thank you for your help…” Marinette nodded to them and looked one last time at Alfred. “ _I hope we meet again, young Peafowl_.”

“As do I, my lady Guardian,” he bowed.

Ladybug turned and was suddenly gone. The only evidence of her being there was the broken remains of Tim’s broken mug and the huge dent in the Batmobile.

“Well, I’m going to sleep,” Tim announced to the room. “Someone else can take night shift tonight and someone can also tell me this wasn’t all some fever dream in the morning.”

Half an hour later, Damian, who had volunteered to stay up and finish the nightly watch in order to gather more information of the Miraculous and Marinette, noticed Tim’s mug appear sitting perfectly on the floor half full of the sludge he must’ve been drinking before it had broken and the dent in the Batmobile disappear in a wave of ladybugs.

Damian smirked at the knowledge that she and her team had won their battle, and that, if these items were fixed, then so were Marinette’s injuries. He ignored the part of him that felt… proud at the knowledge of her win, and happy knowing she was healed.

Damian grabbed the mug off the floor and took it with him to drop off in the kitchen while he searched for a snack. All his searching through all the bakeries in Paris was starting to make him hungry, especially the one he left on the Batcomputer. He would have to see if the Dupain-Cheng Bakery catered internationally, or if the woman posing with her husband in the owner’s bio passed down her black-blue hair to any daughters his age.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think, and if I made any mistakes you can see. I looked over it pretty diligently, but I always seem to miss something or another.


	2. Part Two: Tears, Deals, Souls, and Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette's second time teleporting to her safest place, and the deals that are made in response to her emotional breakdown. TW: panic attack/anxiety attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished! So happy I had some free time today to get it done. School is finishing up, so I got a lot going on right now, but I've been working on finishing this for over a week now. I hope you like it!  
> Just for general knowledge, this series came about from a challenge I’ve given myself for NaNoWroMo where I go through all of my prompts and drafts from years passed and I clean them up and post them on my Tumblr. Except instead of just for November, my goal is by the end of this year. And instead of Tumblr, I also posted this here in hopes of getting more responses for some extra feedback. My Tumblr is EditorOfEverything as well if you’d like to check out the other posts I’ve done. I think Part One of this series was like day six of my challenge on Tumblr if you’re interested. None of the others were Daminette though.  
> This chapter was actually supposed to come later in the series, but I ended up moving it up because the rest of the chapters I have planned out make so much more sense with everyone knowing everything about each other.  
> I found a Marinette playlist on Apple music that had Superheroes by The Script, which is a song I have not heard in a long time. The lyrics really made me think about Marinette and Adrien’s characters in the show, at first, but then it made me think about Damian more so than Adrien later in the song. Give it a listen and let me know who you think it reminds you of more!  
> “She’s got lions in her heart, a fire in her soul//  
> He’s got a beast in his belly that’s so hard to control//  
> ‘Cause they’ve taken too much hits, taken blow by blow//  
> Now they light a match, stand back, watch ‘em explode.”

The second time Marinette teleported because of the Ladybug protective power, she didn’t know if she was awake or not. Most nights, she awoke in the darkness and wondered if she was still dreaming, holding her breath until the sun rose or her alarm went off. On those nights, she would wake from a familiar nightmare that she wished would just end. Usually, she was too exhausted to even dream most nights, so when she did dream, it was always the same. And it always got to her in ways she couldn’t let it.

Maybe on this particular night, the nightmare came from the three akumas that Hawkmoth created that day. Or maybe it came because Marinette had to disappear from class twice and once from her house just to deal with them, leading to her being grounded and having three days of detention to look forward to.

Her teacher and principal had sat her down and given her a harsh talk that resulted in Marinette going straight home after school instead of hanging out with the class at the new coffee shop that opened up down the street. Of course, Lila had immediately threw a fit when she heard Alya and Nino planning on having the class go together on a day Marinette didn’t have detention. Marinette didn’t have it in her to care about the class going without her, and waved off their pleading eyes looking to her for permission and Lila’s victorious smirk.

She had wanted to immediately head upstairs to bed when her parents sat her down to discuss why the school called them about her behavior. Of course, she had to lie circles around them, leading to a grounding on top of her detentions, and she felt too guilty to fall asleep for a long time.

Just as she was about to drift off, another akuma alert led to Marinette sneaking out of her room before her parents could catch her to defeat the third akuma of the day. The fight was short, but tough. Marinette felt like collapsing as soon as she reached her balcony, thanking the kwamis luck that her parents hadn’t noticed her gone.

She fell asleep just as her head hit the pillow. And then she woke up unable to breathe.

Wherever she was, it was dark, and she felt so cold and numb. All she could think about was that nightmare. The akuma she dreaded ever becoming reality. Her parents bodies broken underneath their collapsed bakery, her school demolished with all of her friends inside, and Tikki- where was Tikki?

She usually helped Marinette get through these nightmares to fend off potential akumas. Why was it so dark? Why was she so cold? Why couldn’t she breathe? She was always told as a child that the more you do something, the less scary it became. She wished it would apply to her now. Every time she dreamed lately, she had the same nightmare, and she wouldn’t be able to breathe for the rest of the week.

Suddenly, a blinding light startled her out of her thoughts and a loud voice echoed off the walls. She was back at that place. The safe place. Her powers must’ve activated again. She would really have to talk to Tikki about controlling that.

Warmth surrounded her, and someone helped her prop herself against something behind her. She still couldn’t really breathe. Short, panicked breaths left her and she couldn’t focus-

“Marinette! Pay attention!” She snapped her head and managed to focus on someone’s face. One of the men from before. He had a kind, older face, and one that was littered with scars that spoke of his trials through life—and death. His was a soul soaked in the neon green light of death and destruction and darkness… It called to her own light soul sweetly and she took in a sharp, shuddering breath. Still not enough to breathe properly, but enough to want to remember that she needed to.

She could feel her throat and chest burning with the pain of her panicked breathing and choked off screams she knew must’ve slipped out when she was in the middle of the nightmare. They always do. She took another deep breath despite the burning and felt her head grow lighter and her vision swim.

“That’s it, little lady. Deep breaths. Is it alright if I touch you?” Marinette warmed at his words and tried to nod, though she wasn’t in full control of her body, so she wasn’t sure how much she actually did. She was so stiff.

Marinette felt her anxiety crest and fall over her in another wave. What if there was another akuma? How could she fight in this state? True, her suit did block out pain, but mental, emotional stuff? That was all on Marinette to get under control. What if she had another attack in the middle of Paris? What if she got _akumatized_ —

“ _Hey!_ ” Marinette snapped her head up, and met those fury filled green eyes once again. “You gotta keep focused, Marinette. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed again. You’re losing your breathing.”

Marinette sucked in another painful breath, and squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the warm trickle of tears flowing down her face. _No_ , she couldn’t be losing her grip. She had to stay strong. She couldn’t start crying because then she wouldn’t be able to _stop_ and an akuma could attack at any minute and her emotions could make her a target and if she was akumatized _she wouldn’t be able to save them_ —

Warmth. Sudden warmth surrounded her, and she felt the building pressure behind her eyes as she tried desperately to hold her breath again, to stop from crying, to stop from _feeling_. She had to stop. She _had_ to. But it was so warm and she could barely breathe again, and it hurt her head so bad to keep herself from crying.

“Marinette.” Tikki’s voice filled her head and eased some of the pain for a moment. Marinette opened her eyes. Tikki’s large blue eyes stared back at her, filled with tears of her own. Oh no, Marinette made Tikki cry. She hurt her and now she’s crying and the pressure— “It’s okay, Marinette. You can cry.”

Marinette shuddered and jolted back. “ _No_.”

The warmth was gone and Marinette was getting cold again. It was getting so cold and so hard to breathe and so hard to think. Hands pressed against her face and lifted her head up. She opened her eyes again, feeling exhausted and dizzy and in so much pain. She just wanted it to stop.

When she could focus, though, there was a different face in front of her than before. Older. Wiser. Harder. Black hair, green eyes, and a strong jaw.

“You’re safe here, Marinette,” the man said, and Marinette remembered sensing the pride and warmth and constant balance within his soul last time. A battle between light and dark, swirling constantly within him. “You will not be harmed here. You can cry. You can scream. But you have to let go. _You have to breathe_.”

Tikki was resting on the man’s shoulder, and she nodded once at Marinette’s seeking gaze.

Marinette collapsed. She screamed and she cried and she let out everything she had been holding in for _so long_. She didn’t know how long she sat there, curled up on the floor, her face against her knees and her arms wrapped around herself like she could keep from falling apart. She didn’t know how long she cried for, she just knew that she couldn’t _stop_. It felt like the sobs were being ripped out of her and she couldn’t open her eyes through the tears or stop herself from making a terrible wailing noise as she collapsed.

How long had it been since she last cried? How long since she let go of all of the emotions weighing her down every day? How long had it been since she could _breathe_? Since she could suck in a lung full of air and cry it back out again? She felt like she was learning how to do it all again, like a newborn.

That’s how she felt towards the end. Like she was born again. She felt weightless and empty, but not in a completely bad way. She felt like she could finally let go of everything that had been building up for so long.

She just kept taking in long, shuddering breathes as she lie curled against the floor long after the tears stopped and her cheeks dried. She found she couldn’t open her eyes if she wanted too, but she wasn’t quite asleep. She was aware, but not enough to care, of the voices talking in low voices around her and someone maneuvering her out of her hunched over position and into their arms.

She was pressed against something warm once again, and she pressed her face into the warmth as much as she could. She could feel her soul swirling in response to the others around her, and she felt it so much she almost didn’t recognize it for what it was at first.

When was the last time she felt _safe_?

~

Damian woke to screaming. Loud, shrill, drawn out, _painful_ screaming. The kind of screaming that could be heard in the dungeons of The League’s bases. The kind of screaming that Damian had learned from a young age to draw out of his victims slowly and painfully.

He was out of bed with his katana in his hands in a heartbeat, and he slowly but steadily made his way through the halls.

Jason was supposed to be on watch, and Damian was planning all the ways he could make him scream like the ones he was hearing if there wasn’t an actual emergency. That’s what he told himself, anyways, as he started down the hidden staircase to the Batcave. In reality, Damian’s hair was standing on end, and it was taking everything in him not to run to the source of the screams and make them stop somehow.

When he rounded the corner, the screams had dropped off to pitiful whimpering and gasps from the same black haired, blue eyed girl from the month before. She looked wild. Her hair was matted and frizzed all over her face and neck, her face was blotched red, making her unfocused, wide blue eyes seem to glow, and she was clutching at her sides so tight, he was afraid she would injure herself.

Jason was trying to talk to her, but he didn’t seem to be having any luck getting her to focus. His father and Alfred were standing nearby with Tikki, the tiny, talking god floating in between them with her eyes never straying from her chosen.

Bruce met Damian’s eyes. “Come over here, son. We shouldn’t crowd her.”

“She gets like this sometimes,” Tikki was telling them as Damian came to his father right side, “but this time is definitely worse than any time before. She’s always been able to calm herself down, usually with my help, but it’s been a hard day for her. Getting an attack on top of what happened today must have forced this new power she’s uncovered to activate again.”

“How often does Miss Marinette have attacks like these, Tikki?” Alfred asked. Marinette seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating, and Damian felt stuck. He wanted to help somehow, but he didn’t know anything about emotional attacks like these. He was always in control of his emotions… for the most part… Well, he was still working on some of it, but he certainly never witnessed such a brutal form of emotional stress as what Marinette seemed to be going through.

There was a pregnant pause as Tikki seemed to hesitate to answer. Jason’s attempt at soothing and focusing words and Marinette’s irregular breathing and panicked noises seemed to grow louder every second of Tikki’s silence.

Tikki sighed, before turning to them. “Hawkmoth’s power is being used to force those with negative emotions into a destructive form. If Marinette were to fall into any negative state for too long, she could be akumatized, and all would be lost since she is Ladybug. Without Ladybug to restore balance, no one would win or lose in that fight. Marinette’s still young, and her control on her emotions is not handled in an extremely healthy manner, but no one’s is in Paris anymore.”

“But it wouldn’t mean the end of the world if a random citizen lost control once in a while,” Bruce announced, gazing at Marinette with such sadness that Damian had to look away, clutching his katana tighter in his fist, letting the tip of it chip into the floor in an attempt to control his conflicting emotions.

“How often does she have attacks like this, Tikki?” Alfred asked again in a quiet tone.

“…Sometimes three times a month. It depends on the day. There are so many aspects of her life that would be upsetting to anyone, but since Marinette is Ladybug, and the Guardian, she can’t let herself be taken over by any negative emotions, no matter how deserving they are. I can tell you more later, but how can we help her now? She’s never been so disoriented like this before. I don’t know how to get through to her like this. I tried for a while when I noticed her getting worse, and then we got teleported here.”

“Tikki,” Damian sudden spoke up before his father or Alfred could spout off their ideas. “Why did she get teleported this time? If she goes through this often, what’s happened that made her teleport tonight?”

“…The power she unlocked before, it was to protect the wielder of the Ladybug miraculous by teleporting her to the safest place for her. So much happened today… There were three akumas, and Marinette got in trouble at school and at home for disappearing throughout the day… She must have not felt safe at home because of everything that happened. So when she started to panic, and couldn’t calm herself down, she must have felt so unsafe that she teleported again.”

“Tikki,” Bruce said, walking over to Jason and Marinette, “we need to get Marinette to know she’s safe to let go of her emotions here. She’s probably pushed down all of her feelings for so long in fear of what would happen if she were to feel any of it that she’s forced herself into a state of panic and anxiety. We need to convince her that this is a safe place for her to let go.”

Tikki nodded and flew to Marinette. Jason backed away from her and Damian started at his father pulling Marinette into a hug. It seemed to get Marinette to focus for a moment and they started talking to her. Jason stood firmly beside Damian and their arms brushed every once in a while, but Damian allowed the physical contact since it seemed like Jason needed it according to his tired face.

“She couldn’t focus on anything that I was saying,” he whispered, jaw clenched as he glared toward the three. Alfred placed a warm hand on the two boys as they watched their father and a flying tiny god convince a seventeen year old girl that she was allowed to cry. Damian felt his helplessness grow as Marinette began to truly sob. He looked away, and glared at the ground instead, unable to look at her clenched eyes and trembling mouth.

Bruce was having much of the same feelings as his sons, but he forced himself to keep looking at her. To see every second of her pain and panic as she cried. He wanted to grab her and pull her close in a safe embrace until she felt as safe as she deserved, but he knew he shouldn’t. A young, sweet girl reaching her breaking point in a secret cave in a room full of mostly strangers to her. What kind of life must she lead to find herself in a completely different country to feel safe.

He and Alfred had agreed to not investigate Marinette or the situation in Paris anymore and forbid any of the kids from doing so themselves. But after watching her collapse, he changed his mind. Bruce was going to know everything about Marinette and the Miraculous situation in Paris before sunrise, whether Tikki would agree to tell him or not.

He would not watch another child break under the pressures of being a hero. He would not stand by when he could help her in any way he could. She was not leaving Gotham without knowing completely that she would always have the complete force of the Waynes and their masked counterparts at her disposal.

“This is unacceptable,” Jason managed to hiss out through the block in his throat. “How can she fight in this condition _all the time_?” He was pissed. He was certainly slower to anger now than he used to be, but he recognized this cold rage he could feel growing in him. He wanted to find this Hawkmoth villain and show his what true pain was. Wanted to hit him for every tear that made its way down Marinette’s cheek and every second she spent sobbing on the floor.

Damian only nodded sharply at his words and Jason had no doubt that he felt the same. Even Alfred, whose hand still rest comfortably against their backs made no attempts at quelling their obvious anger.

After what felt like hours, Marinette quieted down. Little whimpers and tears still escaped her and her body twitched as she lie mostly still on the floor, but she was calmer, and the rest of the room seemed to be able to breathe again as the suffocating tension dissolved.

Alfred led Damian and Jason over to Marinette, Tikki, and Bruce. Tikki had taken to lying her head against Marinette’s in an intimate matter that made Damian look away once again. To see a stranger in such a vulnerable situation, so emotionally drained… it didn’t feel right to him.

“Master Damian, if you would, gently pick up Miss Marinette and follow me back to the guest room. I believe she would prefer something more comfortable to sleep on for the time being. She will need her rest.”

Damian felt his helplessness melt away as he got to her side, and eased her up in his arms securely. Her eye lashes appeared darker against her pale cheeks streaked with dried tears. She was weightless in his hold, although, as he walked behind Alfred through the house, he noticed how light she was. Like she was barely there at all. That seed of helplessness planted itself in his gut once more and he gripped her tighter.

“What are we going to do about this?” Jason demanded as soon as they were out of earshot. Bruce stalked over to the computer and began sending out some signals. He would be cashing in a lot of favors and would have to explain the situation to a lot of people before the night was through. Family reunions could be overwhelming, especially for an outsider like Marinette, but it was in her best interest to have as many allies as possible.

“We’re going to tell them who we are, and we are going to offer our help to Marinette in any form that she will take. We’ll be waiting for her when she shows up here again, and we’ll be prepared to help her when that time comes. But, first, we need to know as much as we can. Go see if Alfred needs any assistance, and have the three of you talk to Tikki about what she feels comfortable telling us about Marinette’s personal life in exchange for our help.”

Jason all but ran to the guest wing where he found Alfred and Damian coming out of one of the rooms. Tikki was sitting on Alfred’s shoulder, looking extra dejected with her large, watery eyes.

“We need to talk,” Jason said, looking right into the bug god’s eyes. “We want to help, but you need to tell us… about everything.”

Tikki flew over and hovered in front of his face for a minute, glaring into his eyes. Jason felt something in him pulse at her closeness and he sucked in a surprised gasp.

“Alright,” Tikki suddenly said, turning again to Alfred. “Where can we talk that’s still close to Marinette? I won’t leave her vulnerable in an unfamiliar environment.”

Alfred led them into the bedroom next door to the one Marinette was sleeping in. They all sat in silence as Tikki flew back and forth between them for a few minutes.

“Okay,” she finally said, hovering in between the three of them. Her eyes glowed a piercing blue for a moment as she looked them each in the eyes and Damian felt the sense of judgement pass over him. “As the God of Creativity and the Kwami of the Ladybug Miraculous of Luck, I, Tikki, grant you my trust in the act of caring for my chosen and Guardian. I will tell you want you need to know about her current state, and, in return, you will tell me of your own personal means of assisting My Lady Guardian. The only contingency of this agreement is that all information must be relayed and agreed upon to My Lady Guardian upon her awakening. Do you agree to this?”

“We agree,” Damian said immediately, tilting his head up in stubbornness as the goddesses eyes glowed once more at him.

Tikki nodded and took a little breath. “Then we are agreed. Let me start at the beginning…”

~

When Marinette woke again, she was surprised to find that she was warm. Warm and awake. Like she had actually slept without waking throughout the night. When was the last time she could say she did that?

She stretched and tried shuffling out from under the blanket cocoon she must’ve wrapped herself in during the night. She wondered what time it was. She went to bed in the early morning hours, she remembered, and she didn’t usually sleep very well after a late night akuma. She certainly didn’t usually feel so well rested on just a couple of hours of sleep.

When she finally popped her head free of the blankets wrapped around her, she froze. She was not in her room. The room she was in was completely unfamiliar and Marinette could feel the panic building in her throat as she took stock of her surroundings.

The bed she was in was against the wall opposite of the closed door. There were large windows on either side of her bed and expensive looking furniture spread tastefully around the room. There was an open door to her left that appeared to be a bathroom.

“Marinette!” Tikki’s voice called out and Marinette took a deep breath of relief. “I’m so glad you’re awake!” Tikki flew over from the wall she phased through and attacked Marinette’s cheek with a tiny hug.

“Where are we, Tikki?” Marinette kicked the rest of the covers off of her. She was in pajamas that were most definitely not hers.

“What do you remember from last night, Marinette?” Tikki asked, resting on Marinette’s knee as the girl leaned against the headboard. Marinette didn’t know why, but she felt safe. If her instincts, and now Tikki, were at ease, she didn’t feel the need to panic just yet.

“I remember getting grounded and feeling sorry for myself,” Marinette mumbled sadly. Tikki nuzzled her knee. “There was another akuma, and I was so tired that I fell asleep and then— I had that nightmare again. When I woke up, I wasn’t in my room anymore. I was at the safe place…” Marinette sighed, and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the headboard. “Tikki, I completely fell apart, didn’t I?”

“You had another panic attack, Marinette. I couldn’t get you to calm down, and Bruce is the one who wanted to help you by letting you know you could cry. Keeping all your emotions bottled up wasn’t good for you, Marinette… Even in a different country, you didn’t feel safe enough to let go until you almost passed out.” Marinette sighed. She remembered. She remembered being so scared she couldn’t breathe—couldn’t cry—even though she obviously needed to.

“I’m so sorry, Tikki—” Marinette started, meeting Tikki’s eyes and finding them serious and emotional.

“No!” Tikki cried out, rushing to float in front of Marinette’s face. “You have nothing to apologize for, Marinette. I should be apologizing. The pressures you’re under… If anyone needs to fall apart sometimes, it’s you. Now, you have a safe place where you can do that. I’m sorry you didn’t have that before.”

“Well, not quite,” Marinette stroked Tikki’s head with her finger. “It’s not like I can just show up here whenever I’m having a breakdown. These people shouldn’t have to change their lives because of my emotional issues.” Marinette was about to ask about teleporting back home when she noticed Tikki’s shifting eyes, not quite looking directly at her.

“Tikki?”

Tikki backed away from Marinette and looked sheepishly away. “I made a deal on your behalf, Marinette.”

Marinette… was not expecting that.

“What kind of deal?”

“…They’ll explain themselves, but you should know that I told them everything, Marinette.” Marinette gasped, looking at Tikki’s serious expression once more. _Everything?_ “I told them as much as I could that I thought would help. I’m sorry for revealing so much without your permission, but I thought this was too serious to wait.”

“…Okay. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that…” Marinette held out her hand to Tikki, and she immediately flew over and sat on her palm. “There’s nothing to apologize for, Tikki. You did what you thought was best for me. Let’s go talk to these people, I guess.”

“You should eat first. There’s some soup here for you, and a change of clothes.”

After Marinette ate and changed, she felt better than she had in a long time. She felt ready to take on the world, or, at least, a family that now knew everything about her life.

Tikki lead her to a large sitting room next to the room she was sleeping in and Marinette felt self-conscious as the people in the room stopped talking when the door opened.

“I’m so glad to see you awake, Miss Marinette,” Alfred said, raising from his seat to welcome her at the door. “Please, come sit. You must have plenty of questions, and we have much to discuss before you have to go home.”

Marinette sat next to one of the guys her age that she remembered. His soul was one of the two that was infected with the destruction energy of the Lazarus pits, yet it was lighter than she expected to have gone through that pain after being revived. His soul sang to hers in a low, soothing tune that relaxed her and she took a deep breath, trying to focus.

“Marinette,” the older man with the balanced soul was looking at her warmly. “I’m glad to see you looking so well rested.”

“Thank you for helping me last night. I don’t think I would’ve gotten through that without help...” she said, trying to ignore her embarrassed blush that rose to her cheeks at the thought of being so vulnerable with a stranger. “Being able to sleep uninterrupted after a panic attack isn’t something I get to do often, so thank you for allowing me to stay the night. I’m so sorry I imposed on your family without much of a choice.”

“It wasn’t like that at all. Tikki asked us to let you sleep in, and none of us wanted to send you home without a good night’s rest.”

“…My parents are going to kill me,” Marinette suddenly realized with a groan. “I got grounded yesterday for skipping school and not being home, and now I’m doing it _again_.”

“We’ve actually taken care of that for you… but introductions should come first before we get into all of that,” one of the guys she remembered talking to the first time she teleported spoke up. His soul was a bluish grey and it swirled in slow, lazy circles. He was holding a cup of coffee, and Marinette wondered if it was still the morning hours wherever they were. “I’m Tim Drake.”

Marinette started. Introductions? The man next to him spoke up before Marinette could stop him. “I’m Jason Todd, little lady.” He nodded his imaginary hat at her with a wink and Marinette was frozen. Why were they introducing themselves to her? Why were they _revealing_ themselves?

“My full name is Alfred Pennyworth,” Alfred spoke up, nodded at Marinette’s surprised expression. “My family have served the Wayne family for generations.”

“That would be my family name,” the older man said. “I am Bruce Wayne. Next to you is my son, Damian Wayne. The rest of the boys are adopted into the family, as well as a few who no longer live here.”

Marinette paused and blinked a few times, trying to process. “You rich people always have the weirdest hobbies,” she finally said, despite her shock, and continued without missing a beat, “I’ve never met anyone who’s a serial adopter, but it’s always something…” Some of the tension broke in the room while some of the family laughed. Bruce only smiled and Marinette swore she saw Damian’s lips twitch.

“In all seriousness, thank you for introducing yourselves… I haven’t done anything to gain your trust and you’ve all been so kind to me.”

“We’ve all decided that, considering the circumstances, we want to be here for you when you need us,” Todd- no, Tim said. He was still clutching the coffee mug, and Marinette had the vaguest inclination that she had seen it before. “Think of us as a support system for you, especially considering how your magic brings you to us when you’re in danger. That means trusting each other. We know your name and parts of who you are, but you knew nothing about us and still chose to let us keep our identities and lives from you for our comfort and safety.”

That… made sense to her.

Seeing her expression, Damian spoke up next to her. She liked his voice, she realized with some alarm, as he turned to her. “Open communication and honesty is required to support a beneficial relationship between us. If you would accept our help, we need to open with you about who we are.”

Marinette paused, taking in his words and feeling something in her shift at his tone. She shot Tikki a concerned glace, but Tikki just looked smug. They would talk about that later.

“I appreciate you trusting me, but how can I expect you to help me in a different country, with a villain you weren’t even aware of a month ago?”

“Perhaps we can get on to the next round of introductions,” Damian said, raising an eyebrow at Marinette’s confused expression. “Then we can explain more clearly to you what our plan of action is.”

There was a pause in which the rest of the Wayne family looked at Damian in surprise at his prompting to reveal their secret identities. Out of everyone in the room, Damian was the least likely person expected to be okay with letting an outsider in on their double lives.

“What do you mean?” Marinette asked, breaking the silence.

“Are you familiar with the vigilantes of Gotham?” Bruce asked, raising a brow.

Marinette’s brain stopped working at the tone in his voice. She narrowed her eyes and tried to look past his outer appearance. A perfectly balanced soul, resources and power to get whatever he might need, and a family that all seemed in on a secret that no one else in the world was privy to.

Put him in a black mask and deepen his voice a little, and a Gotham vigilante sat in front of her.

No. Freaking. Way.

“You’re Batman!” She squeaked out, looking around the table, putting heights and builds and attitudes to masked heroes—no, _vigilantes_ —that she admired.

“That was faster than I thought it would be,” Jason admitted, leaning toward her with a wide grin. “We usually have to spell it out for people. No one usually believes us without proof.”

“You’re Red Hood,” she responded with absolute conviction. “And I’m a magic-induced superhero that gives magic jewelry to people to fight with me. I literally watch my teammates interact with each other in and out of the mask without them suspecting a thing.”

“Well,” Tikki interrupted before Jason could snipe back, “that’s partly the protective magic that comes with being in the suit. Most people and software won’t be able to recognize a miraculous wielder for our protection.”

“That makes you,” she turned to Tim, “Red Robin. And you,” she turned to Damian, who had resorted to a blank face at her undivided attention, “Robin. I’d make a joke about bats and birds, but I’m named after a bug, so I’ll refrain just this once.”

Damian’s lips twitched again and her eyes narrowed at Marinette’s smile at making him show a reaction. Tikki giggling made Marinette turn away and refocus. Tim and Jason shared a look, as well as Bruce and Alfred, though each out of a different reason than the other.

“Well, now that we’ve gotten all these introductions out of the way, what was this deal Tikki told me about?” Marinette asked, letting Tikki make herself comfortable on her crossed arms.

Tim cleared his throat and set his coffee mug down. “The deal currently stands in multiple parts. Tikki can explain the first in the best details, I believe.”

Marinette rested her chin on the table and let Tikki take up her attention. “After you fell asleep, I told Jason, Todd, and Damian about what’s been going on. How your duty as Ladybug and Guardian has created issues in your family, at school, and among your friends. I explained to you when we first met that being Ladybug, and now the Guardian, is your first priority, and I’m sorry I put so much weight on your shoulders at such a young age. In the past, most of my wielders were older and didn’t have so much responsibility outside of the mask. You are one of the top students at your school, the president of your class, a talented and upcoming designer, and you’re a great daughter and friend.” Marinette felt her eyes sting. When was the last time someone recognized her accomplishments as _Marinette_ and not just Ladybug and Guardian?

Master Fu always pushed her to take her roles more seriously, and she was young and naïve enough to hope that she could keep her civilian life exactly as it was before putting on the ladybug earrings. Chat Noir added to that stress by looking to her as the leader of their duo, leaving her to worry about how to take down akumas on top of everything else. Even Tikki made comments about how Marinette’s priorities weren’t aligned correctly. Worrying about a class get together when Hawkmoth was still at large and being disappointed whenever Marinette considered using the miraculous for anything other than fighting.

“You’ve been wearing thin for a long time, and then Mayura and Lila came along and made everything that much harder for you. I haven’t been the best mentor to you, and Master Fu was too paranoid after all the mistakes he made to properly train you and your team. You naturally took the lead within the miraculous team from the start, putting you at a distance from the other heroes, even Chat Noir. Your family and friends don’t know that you’re Ladybug, and I hate that you keep having to lie to them to cover for yourself. I think the reason why you keep getting sent here may be because you need a proper support system in your life. A place where you will be safe and can be yourself. A place where people will do what they can to put you first and to help you.”

Marinette let Tikki’s words sink in and sat back up. She slowly took stock of the family sitting around her. “So that’s what this is? You want to… help me? With what?”

“Everything.” Bruce sent Marinette a warm smile, and Marinette blinked away the burning in the eyes.

“We’ve set up an internship with Wayne International Europe division,” he continues, not commenting on her slight sniffles. “We’ve already cleared it with your parents and the school. Anytime you need to sneak away for Ladybug business, your school and parents will receive frequent updates on your progress and qualified absences.”

“No.” She could tell they we’re surprised, and she didn’t want to appear ungrateful, but Marinette didn’t falter. “No, I don’t feel comfortable using your corporation as a cover. If anyone were to look any deeper— and I know a few people who will put their noses in my business just because they can,” she added at Tim’s attempt to argue. “If anyone were to look any deeper, then you’ll be exposed and attention will be brought into your family and business. I don’t feel comfortable with that possibility.”

“And what if you had a real internship? Would you agree then?” Tim asked, smacking Jason’s hand away as it went to ruffle his hair. “Anytime you have to use it for a cover, you could then do some actual work in an internship position, so you wouldn’t be lying and it would all appear to be true to any so-called nosy people. It would also be used to give yourself a break after an attack.”

“Tiki told us about you being a designer—” Jason spoke up, leaning forward in his seat and peering at her with a child-like enthusiasm she found refreshing.

“Aspiring designer.”

“Please,” he scoffed. “MDC? The famous, mysterious designer for Jagged Stone? You’re wearing a few more masks than some of us at this table, little lady. I think you’ve gotten into a habit of selling yourself short.”

Marinette pressed her lips and felt her soul swell. Huh. Maybe Tikki was right about why she kept getting pulled here. “Okay. There will be some kinks to work out, I’m sure, but that can come later. What else is there?”

Bruce nodded. “You know who we are now. Vigilantes. Detectives. We can help you as much as we can without blowing our covers or bringing extra danger to Paris.”

“How?”

Tim slid a phone across the table to her.

“This is a new phone for you. It has all of our family’s numbers and a SOS signal for you to use whenever you want. You can talk to us about anything you need. Akuma problem? We can monitor everything from here and relay information to you that might help. Want to get some training in? We have resources for you to use, and we can bring you here no problem for a little while if you want to spar with us. Want someone to talk to about your day at school? We don’t mind hearing all about your last test or class gossip.”

“…When Bruce said everything, he really meant it.” Marinette clicked through the phone, scrolling through the impressive amount of contacts that were added and the apps someone had installed.

“That part of our deal, Marinette.” She looked up to Bruce and caught Alfred’s warm gaze. He nodded at her and she smiled. “In order for us to look after you, we need you to be open with us. Only as much as you’re comfortable with, but it does make all the difference when you have people you can talk to about _every_ aspect of your life.”

“…That’s… a lot. Thank you. I mean, I never even considered that… not having someone to talk to could hurt me so much…” She thought about how different she felt after getting everything out in the open. Why had Master Fu forced her and Chat Noir to never reveal themselves to each other? If they could’ve been supporting each other like _this_ for the past three years, maybe they wouldn’t have gotten to this point.

“On to the next part of business,” Damian interrupted her thoughts, and Marinette turned to him again. “Tikki said you have an idea of who Hawkmoth is? And who’s working for him?”

“Yes. I believe Hawkmoth could be Gabriel Agreste. I don’t have any proof, and when I initially assumed it was him, he was akumatized. That doesn’t really matter though, because now we know he’s not working alone, and could use his partner, Mayura, to help him.”

“We’ll look into him. What about his partner?”

“Gabriel has an assistant that’s always with him. Nathalie Sancoeur. She just… fits. Something about her soul mimics that of Mayura… She’s not one of Duusu’s chosen, though, and we have reason to believe that the Peacock miraculous is broken, making her sick. The last true holder died after using the miraculous for too long, and Nathalie has been seen less and less recently. I know it’s not much to go on, but it’s not just a gut feeling. When I became Guardian, everything was transferred to me. Master Fu lost all of his memories and knowledge, and I absorbed all of it. I’m still learning about being Guardian, but trusting oneself is the most important part. I can sense when someone would be a good fit for a Miraculous, and Mayura will kill herself before this fight can end.”

“Why do you say that?” Damian’s tone seemed almost challenging and Marinette felt her naturally straighten up to combat him.

“The world is full of balance. People’s souls, their actions, everything balances out within the world. Mayura… She isn’t balanced. Her soul is corrupt, and her heart and mind are constantly at war. Those kinds of things can tear a person apart without the added force of a miraculous tinting a soul.”

Bruce nodded and checked his watch. “Unfortunately, Marinette, I believe we should wrap up this conversation for now. All that’s left to do before you go is have you officially agree to the deal Tikki made on your behalf. Once you agree, we’ll send you home and we’ll be in touch with you as often as we can.”

“I feel like I should warn you that this isn’t going to be as easy as saying ‘I agree to the terms and conditions’ kind of deal. As Guardian, my soul has to accept yours as compatible with mine in order to create the bond in order to agree to a deal like this.”

Alfred nodded. “Tikki and I explained to the others what this type of deal entailed, My Lady Guardian. We are prepared to be at your judgement.”

Marinette looked at each of them in the eyes for a moment, getting a sense of their souls and how open they were to her. Alfred’s a bright, solid grey soul was like an anchor, tethering itself to those around him and keeping them in place. Bruce’s swirling black and white soul was attached to Alfred and each of his children around the table, and Marinette could sense that he had more connections that were too faded or distant for her to get a reading on, but she accepted them all the same. Any family of Bruce’s would be okay to her.

Tim’s soul was that bluish tinted grey that swirled lazily around, tinting those around him with the same hue in an affectionate manner, to Marinette’s understanding. Jason’s soul was a darker green that vibrated constantly, calling to her bright red, controlled soul, and she felt the destruction energy in him increase the tension in every room he entered.

Lastly, Marinette turned to Damian. She stared at a spot on his chest and was almost startled by how his soul was already reaching out for hers, without her having to call on it. Out of all of them, she would’ve thought Alfred would be more open to connecting with her like this, but there was Damian’s bright green soul surrounding hers like mist.

Marinette took a breath and closed her eyes. She felt her soul rise and fall with her breathing and her heart, and pushed it _out_ so it connected with everyone’s souls at the table. She let them mingle together until, one by one, they settled into place, like a puzzle clicking together for the first time.

She opened her eyes and her glowing blue eyes met Damian’s glowing green eyes as the deal was solidified.

An hour later, Marinette was preparing herself for a long conversation with her parents outside the bakery. Tikki was hidden inside Marinette’s new inner pocket on her cardigan, next to her new phone where Jason and Tim were already blowing up their group chat.

For the first time in a very long time, Marinette felt like she could take on the world. This time, though, she knew she didn’t have to do everything alone. When she finally entered the shop and asked her parents to sit with her as she shared the news about her new internship opportunity, a pair of glowing green eyes haunted the back of her mind.

An ocean away, those green eyes stared at the new contact added to his phone. Tim has added a picture of Marinette as well, and Damian found he had a hard time looking away from her eyes. Even when he did manage to, they stayed with him as he made his way to the dinner table to eat with his family.

_What unforgettable eyes_ , they both thought.

Somewhere in Paris, Tikki and Plagg jolted with the sudden connection between two bright souls burning gold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hoped you liked it! Let me know what you think of if I made any mistakes I can fix.


	3. Part Three: Fights and Rests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, my plans of updating every month failed. I really thought I’d have this done before the New Year, but a lot happened in December. I am so sorry to everyone I commented to that I would update this chapter before the end of the month because I hate going back on my word. I discovered recently that I have a phobia to plots which kept me from finishing this earlier. I had originally planned this series out to be one shots that sort of went together, with little plot besides the daminette aspect to it. This, however, is plot heavy. So. Much. Plot. SO many details to keep track of throughout each chapter… My anxiety said “How about no?” But! I am back! And more determined than ever to finish! Just two (I think?) more chapters after this one! And they’re mostly written already! Hooray! I hope you like it!
> 
> I think this may read a little clunky and seem to jump around a lot, but there is a reason for everything, I promise! A lot to unpack in this chapter. Lots of emotions to work through and decisions to be made.
> 
> Word count: 6645

A month passed since the start of Marinette having the Wayne’s on her side.

Three akumas passed with ease in the time, leading to their monitoring the situation, but not really needing to assist. Her parents were ecstatic that Marinette had an internship at such a prominent company and they noticed how much effort she put into everything she did. They had concerns about Marinette slipping in school or taking on too much like she had in the past, but after a long conversation about priorities and responsibilities, Marinette stepped down as class president and her parents decided to hire a temp so Marinette wouldn’t have to step in all the time.

She and her parents started having family nights every Sunday where they either bake, play video games, or watch movies. Their trust in Marinette was slowly starting to be restored, and Marinette loved being able to not lie outlandishly to her parents all the time. Even though she was still technically lying, Marinette felt better telling her parents she had internship stuff to do, and then following through.

The first few weeks were bumpy, jumping from disappearing during an akuma attack to going to her internship, but learning about business and how to market her brand… it was like being paid to do what she loved.

Along with getting used to her internship, Marinette also started feeling more comfortable leaning on the Wayne’s for support, whether it just be to talk or when she was struggling.

Like a few days ago when Lila had ruined Marinette’s newly made sundress by “accidentally” spilling paints all over Marinette’s desk. Lila had immediately started sobbing through an apology, trying to rub out the paints which only ruined the expensive, sensitive fabric more.

Marinette had broken down, knowing there wasn’t anything she could do for the fabric and ran home. ~~Un~~ luckily for her, the Wayne’s had been monitoring the school more closely and Tim had just happened upon the footage of Lila very purposefully grabbing a pallet of paint and “tripping” onto Marinette.

A video call from Dick and Tim calmed her down and gave her some advice about being more aware of her surroundings and how to take care of her things so that people don’t find them or get them away from her easily. Jason also had some choice words of advice about how to get out of fights even if she started one, making her laugh.

She had went back to school the next day with her head held high and ignored everyone’s attempts at justifying Lila’s behavior and villainizing Marinette’s. Marinette thought long and hard that day about her friends in the class, and, after Damian’s prompting, decided that “taking the high road” wasn’t in her best interest, no matter how selfish she felt putting herself before her friends and classmates.

Which lead her to where she was, pulling Adrien aside after class when she knew he had some free time and even looked grateful that she pulled him away from Lila.

“We need to talk,” was all she said, and he followed her all the way to the bakery and up to her room silently.

After they sat in silence for a moment, Marinette to gather her thoughts and Adrien to admire her new setup—She had taken all of his photos and other crush memorabilia she had out, and painted her room a lavender color with white and gold accents. More sophisticated and mature, Damian had said with what she would take as pride after she facetimed him the first time since she redid it.—Marinette turned towards Adrien and tried to prepare herself for whatever outcome could come her way.

_Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst_.

“Adrien, I need to tell you something, and I need you to let me talk until I’m done.” At his concerning frown and hesitant nod, Marinette straightened up and looked him right in the eyes, trying to channel the Wayne’s confidence and all the advice they had given her up until that point. “I won’t stay silent about Lila anymore. You said that what she’s doing isn’t hurting anyone, but you’re wrong. As you friend, I was hoping you would give me the chance to prove it to you. Otherwise…” Marinette swallowed, and clenched her fists. “Otherwise, I don’t think I can be friends with you or the rest of the class anymore.”

The alarm and hurt on Adrien’s face both wounded and relieved her. At least he genuinely cared for her. She wasn’t really sure about any of her friends in the class anymore.

“Marinette-” he cut himself off and took a shaky breath. “I’ll listen. Of course I’ll listen to you, Marinette. I… You were one of the first friends I made here… I don’t want to lose you over her.” His voice was so soft and emotional, and Marinette grabbed his hands in hers and pulled him closer to her.

“I’m sorry to make such an ultimatum. You know I’d never do anything to hurt you, right?” He nodded instantly and Marinette sighed. And then she told him everything. How Lila’s lies to their classmates could hurt them in the long run, how she keeps purposefully causing akuma attacks, and, finally, how Lila was obviously attacking both Adrien and Marinette.

“She’s bullying me, Adrien, and she’s harassing you,” Marinette said bluntly, if a little stern. If she was channeling Damian a bit there, no one else needed to know except for Tikki who was bursting with pride at her Lady Guardian. “I understand that you were homeschooled and that your father is really strict, but this can’t keep going on. The people around you who truly love and care about you should never stand by when you’re obviously getting uncomfortable or hurt.” Adrien was pale, and he looked as stricken as she felt, but she powered on.

“Badmouthing me to everyone who will listen, where I can hear her while she knows I promised you I wouldn’t do anything about it… she’s been hurting me since she threatened me when she first got here and I tried to expose her. I won’t let her hurt you or me anymore. Have you ever wanted her by your side? Hugging you? Trying to convince the class that you should be dating? Coupling up with you at every chance?” Marinette tried not to cringe at how she could relate to some of the words she was spouting. Between her, Lila, and Chloe, there was a good chance Adrien would never know what proper courting and dating behavior should be if she didn’t get through to him. “If she wasn’t working for your father, if she wasn’t lying about everything convincingly, she would’ve been removed from our class, maybe even our school, by now. No one would put up with her and they would be supporting us more. Now, it’s more complicated, because the class truly believes her every word, and we’ve been too complicit, but I would rather stand against her and take whatever consequences come with that than stand aside and let the people that I once cared about and called my friends be used and abused by a faker. I need to look out for myself from now on. I feel selfish, but I can’t keep babysitting the entire class to make sure Lila’s lies don’t hurt them permanently and stay sane. It’s part of the reason I stepped down as class president, and part of the reason I can’t keep staying friends with people who won’t have my back when I need them.”

Marinette tried to calm her breathing and watched Adrien’s face wearily for any signs that he would brush her aside or take Lila’s side. She didn’t want to lose him, didn’t want to lose any of them, but she wouldn’t keep drowning herself to make sure everyone else stayed afloat.

“…I… I am so sorry, Marinette,” he finally said, pulling her into a surprise hug. She could hear the thickness in his voice and felt her eyes fill with tears in response as she held him tightly. “I never thought that… No, I knew that what Lila was doing was wrong, but I thought everything would work itself out.” Adrien pulled away from their hug, but kept her hands in his, giving them a squeeze and a wobbly smile. “My father wants me to keep Lila happy… but I’m not happy anymore,” he admitted, avoiding her eyes, where she had begun to cry in earnest. “I haven’t been for a long time. What you’re saying now… I know it’s true. I’ve thought it before, but I just wanted everything to go back to the way it was before. Even though I wasn’t willing to put in the effort to get there. I let Lila hurt you and your reputation—your entire _relationship_ with the rest of the class—just to make my father happy, even though he’s allowed Lila to—to _harass me_ like you said. I think you’re right. Maybe it’s time we be more selfish.”

Marinette pulled him into a hug again and they cried together until Nathalie called demanding that he come home for practice. Adrien and Marinette were pilled on her bed, watching a movie and Adrien gave her a mischievous grin.

“Maybe being more selfish can start with staying with you a little while longer?” He asked gingerly and Marinette smiled at him.

“Maybe we can start with you staying the night. You ever had a sleepover before?” Adrien shut off his phone excitedly and threw it across the room.

“You have to teach me _everything_ about sleepovers!”

~

Having Adrian by her side was something Marinette never really knew she needed in her life. She always _wanted_ him by her side, but not like this. Not like she truly needed him. Not like how he needed her. And no matter what thirteen year old Marinette might’ve thought, Marinette wouldn’t trade the love and friendship she had with Adrien for anything else, and she really believed that she would never have to.

They didn’t do much anything differently in class, though Nino and Lila seemed to _know_ something had changed between them. Maybe it was how they seemed to both disappear together after school all the time, ignoring invites to after class activities… Or maybe it was how one of them would sneakily intervene whenever Lila would corner the other. The rest of the class didn’t want to cause a fuss, so they turned away whenever the three of them would get into it, which Marinette actually appreciated.

She could fight her own battles now, and so could Adrien as he became more and more outspoken towards Lila’s drama, but fighting the people she once cherished as her closest friends… it was something that she was most afraid of.

Almost a week of no akuma attacks and peace throughout Paris led to Ladybug taking to the rooftops. The sky was clear and the stars seemed to glow as bright as the lights on the Eiffel Tower, and Marinette was able to actually look around and appreciate her surrounding for the first time in a long time. The way the Seine glowed at night; the people milling around the streets; the sounds of music drifting through the light wind kissing her cheeks. Marinette felt… _bright_. Her heart was light and she would bet the world that her soul was taking on a pinkish hue, beating with her heart in time to the sweet piano still playing somewhere.

She ended up, as always, at the top of the Tower, looking out over her city. Seeing her school, her parents’ bakery, Andre’s ice cream stall… it had been a long time since she could look at these places and the first thought of them be ‘ _home_.’ She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the music once more.

A noise came from behind her, though she didn’t bother moving from her spot. She had taken to lying down, her legs swinging over the edge of the platform, staring at the sky.

“…My Lady?” Chat’s soft voice drifted around her and she smiled at him upside down. His soul seemed to be lighter than it had been and Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the soothing dance their souls took on as they slowly intertwined with each other.

“Hi, Chaton. Wanna come look at the stars with me?” She asked, returning her gaze to the night sky.

“Oh, um… of course, My Lady.” Chat walked over to her and sat down, though he didn’t lie next to her. Something was obviously on his mind, but Marinette didn’t ask. She would wait for him to speak, if he wanted to. And if he didn’t want to talk, they could gaze at the stars together and she would let him know she’s there for him.

After a little while, the piano stopped playing. The wind died down and there was less chatter on the streets. Marinette took a breath and sat up, pulling herself around to look at her partner. He was lost in thought, gazing out at their city.

“Chaton…” Marinette started, gazing at him warmly. She had thought about this a lot over the past month, and Tikki and the Waynes seemed to think it would be in their best interest, but there was still something holding her back.

“Ladybug,” Chat said, turning to her and the look in his eyes was determined, and Marinette was hit with a wave of unease, though she cursed herself for it. Chaton meant well, and he was her partner. She shouldn’t feel so uneasy around him just because she knew he had feelings for her. “Ladybug, I need to say something to you and I need you to listen to me, and I need you to listen until I’m done. Please. I—I need to apologize to you.”

Marinette froze. “…What?” She breathed out, confused and dazed and… hopeful? She shook her head. She would unpack all of those emotions later. “Whatever for, Chaton?”

Chat Noir straightened up, took a breath, and look her right in the eyes. She saw it then. The sadness, the fear, and the resolution there.

“A good friend of mine recently showed me signs of… harassment. Before, I just thought… I thought everything was fine no matter how uncomfortable I was… How upset I was the longer it went on and when my friend helped me out… I realized I acted the same way with you. You kept telling me over and over again that you didn’t want to reveal our identities. You told me over and over how you didn’t love me back, but I kept pestering you about my feelings and what I wanted. I—I’m so sorry, My Lady. I never should have ignored what you said about how you felt, or got upset when you told me the truth. I’ve realized that… The truth, no matter how upsetting, is always better than lying, and you’ve never lied to me, My Lady. I hope you can forgive me for pressuring you so much. I swear I’ll be better from now on and be the partner you deserve… if you still want me to be.”

Marinette felt frozen. There was no way… Was he really…? Marinette shook herself and sucked in a breath at sudden wobbling of her Chaton’s lips the longer her silence went on.

“Oh, Chaton,” she cried out, pulling him into a hug and holding on as tight as she could as his shoulders shook. “Of course I forgive you. You’re my partner, Chat. No one can replace you. Thank you for apologizing. I… We’ve been through a lot and… I’m not going to say it’s okay, making me uncomfortable and not listening to me, but I do believe you. I know how it feels to want to be with someone and everything else falls away. I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t forgive you.”

After a few moments of holding on tight, Chat pulled away and looked her in the eyes. “Thank you, My Lady.”

Marinette knew right then. She knew deep in her soul that she wanted her Chaton to know who she was out of the mask. She knew she could count on him and trust him, and she knew that he felt the same. Their souls swirled together like a storm and she rested her head against his.

“I do love you, Chaton.” She watched as his tearful smile and sweet green eyes met hers warmly.

“I love you too, My Lady.”

~

With Adrien by her side during school, Chaton by her side during akuma attacks, and the Wayne’s with her every day, Marinette knew she was stronger than ever before. Her heart, mind, and soul were finally at peace, and working together versus being constantly at war was liberating. No matter what Lila did, Marinette honestly couldn’t be bothered anymore. She still called Lila out for lying and harassing Adrien, but she could no longer care about the rest of the class’s reaction or Lila starting something every day. Marinette learned how to walk away when the fight wasn’t worth her time.

If a certain green eyed, aloof Wayne came to her mind more and more often as she chose her battles, bringing her a type of strength she never knew she could have… well, no one needed to know that.

Adrien knew about the Wayne’s and they were aware of him, but both parties didn’t seem interested in knowing more about the other as long as they both supported Marinette. Chaton also knew Ladybug had been in contact with The Batman and his team, leading to an amusing freak out session when she announced that they’d be in contact with them in the next akuma attack.

Except it didn’t quite go as well as Marinette was hoping.

It wasn’t easy focusing on the akuma in front of her while forming her own plan _and_ listening to Tim, Damian, Alfred, and Bruce making comments and giving their own opinions on the fight in her ear.

They just barely manage to defeat the akuma, and Marinette heard hers and Chat’s miraculous timer beep their third warning.

“My Lady?” Chat mumbled, keeping one hand on his side and Marinette tried to keep her balance with Chat’s added weight on her bruised ribs. The timing of her Miraculous Ladybug and a sudden explosion… was unfortunate, leading her and Chat trying to protect the nearby civilians and damn near getting blown up if she hadn’t pulled a car in front of them at the last second.

Yay for not getting blown up, but still ouch for being squished between a wall and the car.

Lady Luck didn’t seem to be on her side still as more civilians took to the street, demanding to know why Ladybug’s magic didn’t protect them from the bomb. How could their heroes not stop the bomb from going off sooner? Why were they running away instead of cleaning up the mess they made?

Marinette tripped as the fourth beep sounded off, and she barely managed to prevent herself and Chat from collapsing to the ground. There were still people close by and they would surely notice the appearance of two injured teens in place of their missing heroes.

Marinette couldn’t focus. Her hear hurt so _bad,_ and the static in her ear from the earpiece that cut out with the explosion was deafening and she was getting dizzy and Chat was getting heavier and the voices were getting _louder_ —

The sudden appearance of a red portal was all she saw before she gripped Chat tight and jumped just as the final beep of their Miraculous sounded off.

~

Marinette and Chat dropped onto the soft mattress of a bed right as their transformations wore off. Marinette, who landed on top of Chat and kept her face hidden in his shoulder, clutched him tightly to her.

“Um, My Lady?” Chat asked, holding her close and Marinette just knew he kept his eyes closed ever since they transformed, and she felt her dusty rose colored soul warm while it swirled with his minty green. “Did we just go through a portal?”

“…maybe,” she answered, not lifting her head just yet. She knew that if she asked, Chat would look away from her and allow her to mask them both again before he betrayed her trust, and Marinette considered her options.

“You don’t seem too overly concerned about this,” he said, shifting their weight to a more comfortable position. Her side twinged and she knew he must still be hurting as well.

“It might have happened to me once or twice before…” Chat barked out a laugh and Marinette felt her soul shift with his as she made her decision.

“Of course it did, My Lady,” he said softy—fondly. “So… where are we, exactly? Your house? I’ll keep my eyes closed if you want to go into another room. Plagg and I can be out of here as soon as he’s recharged.”

Marinette took a deep, steadying breath before pulling away from Chat without looking at him and sitting up. They sat back to back on the bed, heads tilted together and Marinette knew for sure. She looked over, finding Tikki and Plagg looking seconds away from passing out on the futon. Marinette gave them both a meaningful look and Tikki nodded her head in understanding while Plagg looked surprised. It was time.

“This isn’t my house, actually, and it’s a little hard to explain.”

“I get it, my lady! Secret identities are important and Master Fu made the rule for a reason. I respect your decision to keep your identity safe, as well as mine.” He sounded so… proud as he announced the words and Marinette wanted for the hesitation. Waited for the anxiety and the fear… but it never came. She just felt… happy. Excited even. Yes, this was right.

“…And if I said I changed my mind?”

Chat’s pause made her smile as she felt him straighten behind her.

“…you can do that?”

“Well, I _am_ Guardian now… I’ve been thinking a lot about our team, Chat, and while I believe Master Fu’s intentions were good and his rules were necessary for the time, he’s gone now and I’m the Guardian. Things are different, and I trust you,” Marinette grabbed his hand and heard his breath catch.

“My lady, are you sure?” He asked vehemently, and she felt her eyes sting. Kwami, she loved him. Loved him with her whole heart and soul.

“Yes, chaton. I’m sure. I want us to be able to support each other completely. How can we truly be partners if we don’t know each other? I was scared for a long time, but I’m not scared anymore. I trust you, Chaton, and I love you.”

“…Alright, My Lady. I trust you and I love you. I’ve never regretted taking your lead, and I will follow you to the end.”

“Together?” Marinette asked, pulling her hand away and standing. She heard her Chaton do the same and took a breath. She had never felt this exposed… this _seen_ and he hadn’t even looked at her yet.

“Together.”

They turned around. Blue met green and Marinette let out a laugh. A laugh of pure disbelief and joy that she couldn’t stop if she wanted to. Adrien smiled fondly at her while she giggled and walked around the bed to her.

He grabbed onto her hands tightly and brought them up to his lips. They were both crying now, tears slipped from the corners of their eyes and met at the curves of their lips that were wearing matching smiles.

“My Lady… I wish I could say I was surprised… but it’s always been you, hasn’t it?” He said, not letting go of her hands as they gazed at each other.

“It’s always been _us_ , Chaton,” she corrected, and she pulled him to her and held on tight. “It will always be us.” Marinette knew a year ago she would’ve thought their embrace was romantic—knew that anyone could walk through the door and think they were a couple, embarrassingly enough—but she knew they were on the same page. Knew that when they met eyes unmasked that first time, it felt like coming home. The Lucky Ladybug and her Black Cat would always find home in each other, and she would never let him go.

~

Marinette waited until Adrien was asleep as comfortably as he could be while still injured with Tikki and Plagg watching over him before heading out the door. Unfortunately, she didn’t remember where she was in the Manor or how to get to the Batcave from where she was, and she didn’t have either of her phones on her since the akuma attack caught them off guard during school. Her ribs ached with every step she took, but it wasn’t bad enough to make her stop.

They were probably worried since her comms cut out after the explosion, but surely they would see the news where she and Chat— _Adrien—_ disappeared. She vaguely recalled hearing Damian shout her name when the explosion occurred and felt her chest warm, though she decided to ignore it.

She tried the door next to hers, but it was locked, which seemed to be the trend down the hall as she tried each one. At the end of the hall, there was what looked like a servants staircase and she decided if the Batcave were anywhere, it’d be as far down as she could go.

Except her hand didn’t even meet the door knob when someone’s hand gripped her shoulder tightly and pushed her up against the wall. Marinette’s right arm was pinned behind her back, but her left arm was free, so she got her palm flat against the wall and prepared herself despite the throbbing in her side and head at the sudden attack.

“Who the hell are you?” A female voice snarled at her, and Marinette pushed against the wall, kicking off of it and coming up behind her attacker, moving her arm so that it wouldn’t come out twisted and wrapping it around the girl’s throat.

“Who are you?” Marinette yelled back, not letting up even as the woman elbowed her in her bruised side.

The woman seemed to freeze at Marinette’s words and dropped her guard enough that Marinette pushed to woman to the ground and flung herself towards the stairs as she heard the scrambling sound of her attacker coming after her.

She managed to race down the stairs just as she noticed a door at the bottom that was conveniently opening as she met the last step.

Her attacker reached the top of the stairs just as Marinette got to the door and hoped the person behind it didn’t see or hear her coming. Whoever opened the door was looking behind him and talking with someone. His mistake. Marinette didn’t recognize him either so she bolted down the last few stairs, not bothering with being stealthy, and launched her feet at the person who had just started to turn around at the noise. She hit him square in the right side with both of her feet and caught herself from falling with him by gripping the doorframe and launching herself over his falling body.

It wouldn’t be enough to knock him out, but it would slow him down enough that she could attempt to find the Wayne’s or get away to call for help. There were two women standing in the hall who turned at the noise, but Marinette saw them before they saw her and grabbed the rug as she ran along the hall, making them lose their balance and trip over each other in surprise. For good measure, Marinette flung the heavy rug over the two of them without stopping.

“Hey!” and “What the fuck,” came from behind her, but she just hoped they would be tripping over each other for another minute or so while she fled.

Marinette rounded a corner and ran straight into someone else, who grabbed her arms to prevent them both from falling. Marinette didn’t even look him in the face before she flipped his arms around so she had hold of him and dropped backwards, using her legs to fling him over her head and onto his back with an audible “oof” while she rolled from her back onto her feet.

She continued into a foyer where her exit laid. A large set of wooden double doors offset by beautiful ceiling high windows. Marinette dashed to the doors and pulled them open with ease despite their size. She took a single step outside when she heard people behind her.

“Marinette!” She skidded to a halt and turned, panting hard and finding Damian, Alfred, and Bruce Wayne coming from the stairs above her. To her left, Dick and Jason rounded the corner with concerned looks on their faces, and to the right, the group of people she got passed in the hall came through just as Damian and the others reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Who in the hell is the girl who used a rug like a fucking cartoon character?” One of the young women in the room asked. She had shoulder blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

“Tripped you up, didn’t it?” Marinette shot back, still feeling vulnerable and uncertain about the group of people in the room. This was her safe place… but not at the same time. The safe place she came to before was with a few of the men she knew whose souls resonated with her. These people were a mix of different souls and emotions, and some of them obviously didn’t know who she was and mostly likely also didn’t know about her identity.

“Why were you running through the house like a madwoman anyways? Don’t you recognize me, Ladynette? I’m hurt,” one of the men said, pouting at her. Tim. She had just thrown him onto his back.

“Oh no, Tim, I’m so sorry, I just reacted on instinct when I ran into you. Um…” Marinette shifted on her feet and look wearily at Bruce. “I was teleported back here after the akuma fight with my partner, Chat Noir. We ended up in the room I used last time I was here and I thought it would be best to come find someone since I didn’t have my phones on me when _someone_ attacked me in the hall.” She shot the dark haired woman a look as Alfred came behind her to close the front door.

“When a strange girl appears in my family’s home, I don’t ask questions first, little girl. What’s your excuse?”

“When someone _attacks_ me while injured, I don’t ask questions either, and I certainly don’t sit there answering all their questions while they have me _pinned to a wall_.”

Damian was at her side in the next moment, tugging on her elbow and looking her over, catching her attention. Jason also sided up to her, throwing an arm over her shoulders and making a face at Damian. Bruce and Dick were shouldering the other girl in between them as well.

“Alright,” Bruce said, “that’s enough. Introductions should be in order now, I believe. Marinette, this is Cass. Cass, this is Marinette, our sporadic guest we discussed.” Cass didn’t reveal much on her face, but the tightening of her lips and the slight twitch of her eye told Marinette enough as Dick nudged her with his elbow. Cass didn’t move, and Bruce looked at her disapprovingly, opening his mouth to say something.

Marinette sighed before marching up to Cass before he could, feeling drained from the sudden burst of adrenaline and feeling the throbbing in her head and side return with a vengeance. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. You were just trying to protect your home and family from a stranger. I was still… defensive when you grabbed me. I should’ve known better than to think someone random would get into this house.” She tried for a smile, but it came out as a grimace as she adjusted her footing to ease her side.

Cass narrowed her eyes before relaxing and nodding once. “I apologize as well. Your maneuvering while in your state was impressive.”

Jason snorted behind her and threw an arm around Marientte’s shoulders again, causing her to suck in a breath at the jostling.

“Shit,” he said, immediately pulling away but keeping her steady, “sorry, little lady. Let’s get you looked at.”

Alfred was looking over her bruised side as she laid on a plush couch when Tim, Jason, and Damian came into the room.

“Bruce is speaking with the rest of the family now. They had been told about you before, but I don’t think they really expected you to just show up out of nowhere,” Tim explained while they circled around her. Instead of feeling surrounded in such a vulnerable situation— injured and with her shirt off—Marinette felt safe with them all around her. She shivered at the cold patch Alfred applied to her side.

“You have some bruising, but nothing appears to be broken, My Lady Guardian. How’s your head?” Alfred asked, helping her sit up.

“Better now,” she answered honestly. Whatever Alfred had given her eased the pain while allowing her to remain focused. “I’m not hurt anywhere else. The Ladybug Cure healed everything from the akuma attack. The explosion is what got my side and head.”

“We saw,” Damian said briskly where he stood to her side with his arms crossed. “The news caught what happened when your comms went out. Do you know where the explosion came from?”

Marinette shook her head slowly, not wanting to cause the throbbing to come back. “Someone started screaming about a bomb and Chat and I tried getting the area clear as quickly as we could. We were still too close once the crowd cleared so I pulled a nearby car over for protection which blew us back, but kept us safe at least. He’s upstairs still, sleeping now. I think his leg is hurt, and maybe his head, but he seemed to be as good as me when I left.”

“Your partner is ok with being here?” Jason asked, sitting next to her and helping Alfred pull her shirt back over her head without stretching her side.

“…I haven’t told him where we are yet. Though I did reveal my identity, which went… better than I thought it would.” Marinette couldn’t help but smile and rested her head against the back of the couch.

“I’ll take you back to your room,” Damian suddenly announced, stalked out of the room before Marinette had even processed his words.

She missed the Look Alfred, Tim, and Jason shared over her head as she stood slowly.

“Um, I’ve been meaning to ask… About Chat Noir…” She looked uncomfortably away from their warm gazes. “I can have us teleport back to Paris as soon as our kwamis are recharged, and I take a look at Chat’s leg.”

Jason rubbed her head and gave her a smile. “We already discussed what would happen if your partner were to ever stop by, little lady. If you want to tell him where he is and who we are, we don’t mind. You’re a team and we wouldn’t ask you to keep our secret from him. Not if we want to keep working together in the future.”

Marinette felt her eyes sting again and she nodded shyly, unable to properly thank them through the lump in her throat.

Alfred passed along the first aid kit he was using to Marinette and patted her cheek.

“Go look after you partner, My Lady Guardian,” he said, “I’ll bring up some food for all of you in a little while.”

~

Marinette and Damian didn’t speak for a while as he led her to the room she was in. The made it all the way to the foyer before he slowed just enough that she was nearly walking by his side.

“Your attempt at escaping was admirable, but you should have been more forceful if you thought you were in a potentially dangerous situation,” Damian said as they walked. Being so close to him as she trailed after him once again was distracting to her. Why was his soul so… loud to her? “What did you think?” He continued, not bothering to turn around to see her reaction. “That they broke in? Rendering a potential enemy unconscious would be far more effective in a getaway than tripping them or knocking them down.”

His tone was cold. He sounded harsh, but Marinette could sense that he was trying to get a point across without saying it. He obviously knew what he was talking about, and he wasn’t one to sugar coat things. She could respect that.

She hummed in agreement and felt his soul flicker for some reason. “You’re right,” Marinette said and Damian turned his head at her. She caught a glimpse of surprise in his eyes before he jerked his head around again. “I was so concerned about just getting out of the house that I didn’t think ahead. If this was a different situation, I would have gotten caught just outside.”

“…Correct. And you don’t know where we are, do you? An unfamiliar territory could hurt you more than waiting to take stock of where you are or who has you.” They started up the stairs, going at a much slowly pace thanks to her ribs.

Marinette sighed. “Guess I should add ‘What to do in a kidnapping situation’ to my research list right under ‘What to do in a bombing.’” She swore she saw Damian’s lips curl as he glanced at her once again before continuing ahead.

“I’m surprised your instincts proved resourceful enough to allow you to get passed four well trained individuals after a draining attack and while still injured.”

“‘A Guardian must trust her instincts above all else to protect the vulnerable and stay one step ahead of her enemies,” Marinette recited proudly, bursting with the unspoken praise in Damian’s words.

Damian paused at a door at the end of the hall and Marinette tilted her head at him.

“Everyone will be waiting in the dining room for you both if you decide to stay. It’s been a while since everyone’s been together for dinner, so Father and Alfred are making a big deal out of it. You and your… partner are welcome to join us. I trust you’ll be able to find your way back to the foyer from here?”

Marinette hummed and smiled at him, feeling her soul swirl happily with his. Something about his eyes… she could get lost in them easily if she let herself, but she wasn’t going to go down that road. Not again.

He opened his mouth to say something when a thump came from the room that drew their attention.

“Perhaps I’ll see you, then,” he said briskly as he turned away.

“Thank you for your advice,” she called after him softly, hand on the door to her room. “I really appreciate it.” She entered the room with a smile that grew at the sight of Adrien on the ground while Tikki and Plagg snuggled together on the bed.

“Little help here, My Lady?” Adrien asked when he saw her in the open doorway.

“Of course, Chaton,” she giggled, letting the door close behind her, missing the way Damian had paused by the door to the stairwell, rubbing at his chest as if that would stop his heart from beating out of it.

~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe, this chapter was soooooo fun to write, but it had soooooo much content in it and I kept having to go back and forth between chapters to make sure I was presenting the right information and emotions accurately. Also, what the hell is with the Wayne’s eyes?? I kept having to look it up and came up with different examples of whether Damian’s and Jason’s eyes were blue or green, so I just settled on them both being green because of the Lazarus Pits (ignoring Bruce’s dealings with it completely because why not? So Bruce’s and the other boys’ eyes are blue.) 
> 
> What to look forward to in the next part: More interactions with the rest of the Batfahm and the class, and a look into Marinette’s internship as well as Adrien’s sudden burst of rebellion getting much, much worse.


	4. Chapter Four: Emeralds and Sapphires and Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, I had this ready to be uploaded over a week ago, but as soon as I went to publish, it just didn’t feel right to me. So, I edited it a bit more and developed some more of the ending, and now I feel like this is finally compete. I hope you enjoy and please let me know if there is anything I missed or any questions you have! The last part is coming up next! I don't know when that will be because I've been hella busy lately, but I've been managing posting around every month, so we'll see what happens!

Six months. Six whole months had passed since Marinette properly met the Wayne’s, and Marinette was _thriving_.

She found herself actually _enjoying_ going to school… if only because she could make fun of Lila with her new friends. She had _friends_ again. Real, protective, loyal, trustworthy friends that believed her when she told them about Lila’s lies. The class was nearly split in two over the two girls feud, but Marinette was confident that her friends really had her back this time, and she wouldn’t bother with the others who obviously didn’t. Unfortunately, that meant Alya, who still praised Lila and doubted Marinette, causing Nino to break up with her. That night, Nino, Adrien, and Marinette had a long overdue debrief over their secret identities, Lila’s lies, and their friendship. Since then, they have been closer than ever.

The other part of her friend group that was kept secret from _everyone_ else besides Adrien, and, later, Nino when he joined the “Marinette Support Group,” as Adrien dubbed it, included the entire Wayne family. She finally had people who listened when she ranted about school, Lila, and her ideas on how to capture Hawkmoth, who Adrien confirmed was most likely his father.

_From Dickens: Come visit soon. We’ll do some drills._

_From JayBird: and by that he means come bake us cookies_

_From Coffeesaurus: aren’t you two supposed to be working rn?_

_From JayBird: aren’t you??_

Marinette couldn’t stop her smile as she read their texts under her desk in the back of the room as Lila and her posse talked over whatever lesson Miss Bustier was failing to teach. Marinette wasn’t worried like she would’ve before though. She could always ask Adrien or Damian to explain anything she didn’t understand later. An added plus of being friends with overachieving, geniuses? Getting homework help and being near fluent in English after only a half a year.

Marinette was _thriving_.

_From Ladynette: if you keep distracting me from class, i wont visit this weekend_

This would be her first _purposeful_ visit to the Wayne manor since the last impromptu visit she and Adrien took together. Something about it made her more… excited? Something about showing up invited and expected without a life-threatening situation forcing her to… She wanted to see them without a crisis forcing them together. She wanted to hear about Alfred’s travels, Bruce’s training, Dick’s wedding plans to his fiancée _Starfire_ —Marinette was still internally fangirling over meeting her over FaceTime the month before—Tim promised to give her feedback on her performance at work, and Jason wanted to spar with her. And Damian… She wanted to meet his best friend, Jon, and see their school. She wanted to meet Damian’s pets and see his sketchbook. She wanted to know what new book he was reading and what his favorite color was. The more that time passed, she felt drawn to all things green—similar to the deep, emerald green of his eyes that pulled her in deep, even over a computer screen—Marinette shook her head and sighed. She really needed to get a grip.

_From Demon: If all of you do not stop this nonsense, I will break your phones._

_From JayBird: and by that he means he wants you to visit little lady_

_Demon has left the chat._

Marinette bit her lip to keep her laughter just as the bell rang. She looked up to put her things away when she noticed the whole class was watching her. She sent a panicked look at Adrien and Nino, who just looked amused.

“Marinette?” Miss Bustier said, tilting her head, confusion in her eyes. Marinette discretely slipped her phone into her backpack, hoping no one saw it. Having a second, secret phone from her entire class was hard sometimes, but Marinette didn’t want to take the chance that someone would use it against her. Marinette shuddered at the thought of what might happen if Lila or Alya got her hands on the Waynes’ information. Luckily, they had the same idea and gave everyone nicknames to use instead of their real ones.

“Uh,” Marinette straightened and looked around with wide eyes, trying to figure out what she missed. Alya was looking at her with narrowed eyes and Lila was smirking at her, so that meant nothing good for her. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. What was the question?”

“Lila doesn’t have time between her travels and volunteering to prepare everything for the upcoming field trip,” Miss Bustier explained, smiling at Marinette in the way she does when she wants Marinette to do something for her.

There was a long pause.

“…Okay?” Marinette said before she realized the time. “Oh, I’m going to be late!” Marinette grabbed her books and threw them in her bag before standing. Everyone was still staring at her expectantly.

“Is there something on my face?” Marinette asked, patting her cheeks while walking towards the door.

“No, Marinette, you look great!” Adrien spoke up, sending her a dazzling smile. She smiled back and chuckled at his enthusiasm, ignoring Lila and Alya’s glares.

For the past few months, Adrien really started to be himself more casually. He didn’t sugar coat his words to spare someone’s feelings, he stuck to Marinette and Nino like _glue_ , and he put his foot down about Lila’s harassment and manipulation. He no longer cared about disappointing his father or being pulled out of school, so now the class knew that Adrien wasn’t interested in dating _anyone_ — _especially_ Lila. No matter which of the two girls’ side they were on, the entire class would get Lila to back off him anytime she tried anything. They still did photoshoots together, but Adrien would point out whenever Lila was making him uncomfortable, and she would usually be benched by the photographer looking to please his favorite model while Nino and Marinette cheered him on.

Adrien, Nino, and Marinette agreed to let the class come to their own conclusion about Lila, if only because revealing her as a manipulative liar would cause a mass akumatization. They didn’t like it, but the alternative was scary. Marinette figured taking down Hawkmoth first then dealing with his minions would be best, and she was so glad so had her partners on her side.

Lila was pissed that her hold was slipping and sunk her claws deeper into whoever she could get—Alya being the primary target. Nino still mourned his lost relationship and the girl he used to love, but the longer Alya followed Lila, the more she changed for the worse.

Marinette faced her teacher once more, standing beside Adrien and Nino’s table for support—and because it was the closest to the door. “So, can I get going or…?” Alya stood up and Marinette looked at her old friend wearily.

“Lila is too busy to prepare our class trip, and so is everyone else because of after school stuff, so we nominated you to plan it, girl!” Alya gave her a smile and the room cheered. Marinette frowned.

“Oh, well, I’m sorry, but I can’t do it either. I told Miss Bustier this months ago when I stepped down as class president. I have an internship now that takes up a lot of my time. That’s why Lila took up the position, remember? She said she already had ideas and funding for the trip…”

The class started whispering and Marinette avoided Miss Bustier’s eyes, feeling her disappointment. Though Marinette had come a long way in putting herself first recently, it was still her nature to do everything to help people when they asked. Marinette from a year ago would jump to help at the expense of herself.

Today’s Marinette, however, would rather be on her way to her workshop at the WayneCorp building. She got to officially train under the Regional Manager there and learn all about the business side of things that could help her in the future. On days when she had to clock in because of an akuma, she could be in her workshop, doing homework, learning about the industry, or designing.

“Marinette,” Lila sobbed out, and Marinette met Adrien’s eyes pleadingly. She did not want to be late because of Lila’s dramatics, _again_.

“Hey, Marinette,” Adrien said, grabbing his bag and her hand, leading them towards the door while Nino blocked anyone from following. “You promised to show me what you’re working on _ages_ ago. I’ll have my driver drop us off.”

The class erupted behind them as the door closed, and Marinette sagged in relief, giving Adrien a tired smile. “Thank you, Adrien. I really appreciate you stepping in when you can.”

Adrien kept her hand in his and they swung them between them as they walked towards the front doors. Marinette was surprised at how affectionate Adrien was when he finally got comfortable with her. She had noticed and he and Nino were touchy, but she figured that it was just their relationship, but soon after Marinette and Adrien started really getting close, he started asking if he could hold her hand or hug her whenever he had the chance. Marinette of a year ago would be going crazy at even looking in Adrien’s direction, but now she didn’t even blink when he held her hand randomly or kept an arm around her while they walked together.

“I wish I could do more, Ladynette." Adrien held the door open for her and she smiled at Mr. Gorilla as she climbed in.

"Should we wait for Nino?" Marinette asked Adrien as he climbed in behind her and nodded at Gorilla who started pulling away from the school.

"Nah, he said earlier that he had plans after school anyways. He didn't seem really excited when I told him I was going to get you to actually show me the new project you were telling me about.”

“Maybe I’ll have you model a few pieces while you’re visiting,” she teased at him, and pulled her phone back out. The group chat had blown up since she last checked it with Dick re-adding Damian and Damian stubbornly leaving the chat over and over again. Jason and Tim were sending message after message directed at her and she smiled at their nosiness.

“Maybe I’ll let you,” Adrien said with a mischievous note to his voice. Marinette looked up, taking a moment to process what he meant.

“Adrien, the day I steal you from your father will be a great battle, but today is not that day," she said, playfully serious, catching Gorilla's small smile in the rearview mirror.

After a moment of silence, Marinette deflated a bit, mind racing to what happened in the classroom.

“…Did I do the right thing?” Marinette asked softly, pulling a little at her pigtail absentmindedly. “Not agreeing to prepare the trip, I mean. I technically _could_ do it, but…”

“But you have other responsibilities you need to focus on.” Adrien tugged her over so that she leaned against his side and he placed his head on top of hers. “There’s nothing wrong with putting yourself first, Marinette. You taught me that. Don’t go back on your word now. Lila could very well prepare something for the trip, but she would rather ruin it for everyone else than take responsibility for it.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. What if she purposefully ruins it for everyone? We know she’ll try _something_ —this trip is too good of an opportunity to pass up. I know she’ll ruin it, so wouldn’t it be better to just do it myself? That way we can have as much control over the situation as possible?”

"We can talk about it more later. You got work to get to, My Lady," Adrien nodded out the window where Marinette realized they had arrived at the Wayne building. "I’m skipping the rest of my schedule today. Will you inform Natalie? I have something I need to do for school,” He told Gorilla, grabbing their bags off the floor and not bothering to wait for Gorilla’s answer. Marinette felt bad for him. Having to explain Adrien’s frequent rebellions to his father… Marinette shuddered at the thought. Ignoring Gorilla’s grunt of protest and Marinette’s startled yelp, Adrien pushed her out of the car and pulled her into the Wayne building by her hand.

~

After an hour of reviewing reports and checking her own designs, Marinette decided to take a break. She looked up as she stretched to see Adrien working diligently on his homework and Plagg and Tikki napping together on some soft fabric lying out on her desk.

Marinette was so grateful for her job. The Waynes really spoiled her when it came to her internship at Wayne Enterprises. She got an office on the top floor with a beautiful view of Paris through floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the wall. Instead of having a typical desk set up, someone had furnished the room with a large work table that took up the majority of the space, leaving room for a few chairs and mannequins for her designing. She had a closet filled to the brim with fabric and tools and an expensive sewing machine and computer system… The Wayne's definitely knew how to go all out, and they spared Marinette no expense when assisting her as of late.

Checking her phones revealed that she had a quick text from her parents wishing her a good day at work and a message from Alya that Marinette was determined to ignore for as long as possible. Her group chat with the Wayne boys had continued to blow up since she last checked, and Marinette debated asking them for their opinion on the matter of the trip. They would definitely side with her and probably offer to put something together themselves even though they already did so much for her…

She shook her head and saw that Damian had texted her separately, which was a surprise. He usually didn’t start conversations.

_From Demon: Is everything ok? You haven’t responded to the chat. Dick is worried you won’t make cookies._

Marinette huffed a laugh. Damian’s formal language while texting took a while to get used to, but Marinette found it endearing and was proud that she could read his tone as if he were standing in front of her talking.

_From Ladynette: all good! some drama at the end of class, but Adrien got me out of it and to my internship on time_

She switched over to the group chat.

_From Ladynette: ill come this weekend if you stop blowing up the chat._ some _of us have jobs to do_

_From Coffeesaurus: I take offense to that_

_From JayBird: i dont but go be boring ig_

_From Dickens: Silence in exchange for cookies. I’ll take you up on that little lady._

_From Demon: How is this not blowing up the chat?_

_From Ladynette: ill let it slide this time Damian_

She exited the chat and checked Damian’s unread message.

_From Demon: Do you want to talk about it?_

A paper ball hit Marinette in her head before she could respond.

Adrien was grinning mischievously. "What are you looking so shy for?" His tone suggested he already knew her answer, but she just sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Damian just asked me about what happened in class, and I don’t know if I want to bring it up,” Marinette confessed, and Adrien shot up in his chair.

“Tell him. Tell them all. See what they think about it.”

“But I know they’ll try to do something, and they’ve done so much for me already!”

“Trust me on this one, Marinette. Tell him.”

Marinette sighed and opened Damian’s chat as Adrien nosily peered over her shoulder.

_From Ladynette: Lila took over as class president after I stepped down and now she says she cant put our class trip together. The class nominated me, but I turned them down and now I feel bad :(_

_From Demon: Tell the others. They will do something about it._

_From Ladynette: ugh you sound exactly like Adrien._

"Maybe when more than one of your friends who cares a lot about you agree on something, you should listen, Bugaboo," Adrien said, knocking her shoulder with his.

_From Ladynette: i dont want them going out of their way just to solve another one of lilas schemes. you wouldn't be getting involved if not for me_

_From Demon: Would you not assist one of us if we asked you for help?_

_From Ladynette: …i would_

_From Demon: Then allow us to help you when we can. We have the resources, and it is not a burden._

A moment passed while she considered his words and Adrien silently read the chat.

_From Demon: Helping you is never a burden._

Marinette didn’t know why, but her cheeks felt warm and she slammed her phone down on the table, hoping Adrien didn’t read it. His shit eating grin told her that he did.

“He’s got such a way with words, Marinette,” Adrien teased, leaning back in his chair again. He had his scheming face on, and Marinette didn’t know if he could handle Adrien Agreste’s schemes when her heart felt like it was about to explode.

Marinette grabbed some clothes she had set aside and shoved it at Adrien.

"Here’s my latest design. Go change and I'll see about you modelling for me, brat."

Adrien rolled his eyes but grabbed the clothes and slipped into the closet to change.

With him out of the room, Marinette took a steadying breath and considered what her friends have said.

_From Ladynette: Ok, ill ask… thank you damian_

Marinette paused before she hit send and added a little heart emoji at the end of the text before sending it and throwing her phone away from her with a screech, startling Adrien who had just opened the closet door and their kwamis who shot up and started looking around for danger.

"…Sorry," Marinette said, sheepishly while the three starred.

~

Marinette did not, in fact, text her problem to the Wayne group chat. She ignored Adrien’s knowing stare as she asked him what he thought about her designs and they spent the rest of her work hours brainstorming, modelling, and doing homework.

Once five o’clock came, Adrien snatched Marinette’s bag from the table as she tried to clean up her work table and leveled her with a stare.

“You told me and Demon-boy that you would ask the Waynes about the trip, now quit stalling and do it.”

Marinette sighed and sunk into the chair.

“I feel bad, though," she groaned out. "I know it’s okay to ask for help, especially from them now, but I don’t want to become too dependent on them for things I can handle.”

"We could handle this. _You_ could handle this. You could either take over the trip or keep shutting them down. Either way, you'll lose, Marinette. You either take over and get overwhelmed with everything else," he gave her a pointer stare and she sighed, knowing he was spot on, "or you don't, and we don’t have a school trip, because you _know_ no one's going to take over now. _Or_ you could ask your boyfriend and the Waynes about it. They could take care of it all with a snap of their fingers, no one would be the wiser, and you can _rest_."

"Damian's not my boyfriend," she stammered, fighting the blush on her cheeks.

"I never said anything about _Damian_ , but it's good to know where your heart is," he said cheekily. "Seriously though Marinette, you don't have to do everything all the time. You have people that can help you out now. Let them take care of you when you need it."

Marinette sighed and swung back and forth in her chair for a few moments, knowing Adrien would let her think for as long as she wanted. They both knew he was right; it just didn't _feel_ right to run to the Waynes every time she needed something. They saved her in so many ways and _kept_ saving her…

But they _wanted_ to help her, she knew. It wasn't about debts or being a burden… it was about being there for each other. She did favors for them too, didn't she? She promised Dick she would help him with suit designs for his wedding. Jason wanted her to look at his helmet too. Tim ranted about work to her for _hours_ , though she had no idea what he was talking about half the time, and she returned the favor with the same vigor. Despite their rough start, Marinette and Cass talk frequently every day and Babs and Stephanie always have advice when Marinette asks the girls' group chat. Between her parents, Bruce, and Alfred checking every day, Marinette knew she always had someone to talk to about anything and everything from the weather to akuma battles.

And Damian… Damian didn't reach out too often, and Marinette was always worried her messages bothered him, but their conversations were just so _easy_ no matter what the subject. They talked about school and their projects. He facetimed her throughout the night when she had a last-minute design for Jagged before he left to go on tour. He was interested in learning more about the Miraculous and her being Guardian and told her about the League of Assassins he was raised in. She told him about Adrien and Nino and her team, and he told her about Jon and Raven and the Teen Titans.

If Damian came to her for help because his class couldn't plan a school trip, she'd portal to Gotham right then and there to start making preparations.

She held out her hand and Adrien made a triumphant noise before handing her phone back to her.

_Ladynette: I have a question_

_JayBird: whatever they told you I didnt do it_

_Dickens: What did you do now_

_JayBird: just dont use the b-car for a few hours and leave it at that_

_Coffeesaurus: ……._

_Demon: Not everything is about you, Todd. Let Marinette ask her question._

_Ladynette: So………_

_Ladynette: I'd like some advice about a Lila situation_

_Coffeesaurus: Again?? Does this girl have no life besides being aggravating???_

_JayBird: bet youre regretting not letting me take care of her last month arent ya?_

_Dickens: You are banned from travel out of the country, J. And your way of taking care of her is illegal._

_JayBird: spoilsport_

_Dickens: What's going on, Lady?_

Marinette took a breath and told them.

_Dickens: So the matter is either get involved with one of her schemes or let the whole class be punished for pushing the matter onto you at the last minute._

_JayBird: of fucking course shes such a snake_

_Coffeesaurus: We can take care of it for you anonymously if you want_

_Demon: I think it be wise that Marinette appear to not be involved at all. That way this Liar has nothing over her, and the class is appeased._

_Dickens: We'll talk about it later this evening, Marinette. We'll figure something out and get back to you._

_Ladynette: Thank you guys <3 im going to take a walk so i might be a while but ill check back when im home_

~

The walk home from work isn't too long, and Marinette appreciates the few minutes of just strolling through her city uninterrupted. The night time brings about a quiet and stillness to the city that calms Marinette after the longer days. Sometimes, after racing over the rooftops or being confined in one building or another all day, she misses the simplistic beauty of everyday Paris life. The view of the Eiffel Tower from a civilian's perspective, being able to walk through a crowd without being overrun by panicked or starstruck citizens, taking her time and knowing she has more to spend…

Marinette felt Tikki pat her thigh and took a look around, thanking the kwamis that the crowd had thinned out since she arrived at the park across from her home. Marinette looked at Tikki peeking out of her purse and winked, signaling that she can speak freely.

"Marinette," Tikki whispered, "your phone keeps vibrating. Alya has been trying to call you since before you left."

Marinette felt her chest tighten at the thought of talking to Alya. If they get into another fight, Nino will be upset when it inevitably picks back up in the classroom and it'll start a whole new war between the divided class. Marinette sighs and pauses across the street from the bakery.

It was later in the night, probably closer towards midnight. She didn’t mean to be out so long but walking around to clear her head felt so nice, she took a few more detours than usual.

She might as well get it over with and see what Alya wanted or she wouldn’t get any sleep without turning her phone off until school the next day, which will be a whole other fight. Plus, she didn't want her parents seeing her upset and acting prematurely. Marinette knew her parents would pull her from the school to keep her safe, but she _had_ to stay with Adrien and Nino and her other friends. She wouldn't let them fight off Lila alone.

Marinette paced in front of the street, finally clicking on Alya's messages.

_From Alya Cesaire: Girl I know you and Lila have issues but are you really going to lie about not having time to do this trip when I know you do?_

_From Alya Cesaire: Call me when you see this. We really need to talk Marinette._

_From Alya Cesaire: Lila told me about what you said to her about ruining the trip. I really thought you were better than this Marinette. Let's talk and we can sort this out._

_From Alya Cesaire: You're going to ignore me, but you'll text those things to Lila?? What the hell Marinette?!_

_From Alya Cesaire: Marinette. Answer your phone. Using Adrien to make Lila jealous and upset it petty and bullying! Whatever you told him about her really messed up their relationship! How can you be fine doing that to someone!_

_From Alya Cesaire: Marinette I can't do this anymore. I have no idea why you think you can be so rude and hateful to Lila for no reason and blame her for everything._

_From Alya Cesaire: I've tried staying friends I've tried helping you guys get along I've tried letting you guys ignore each other. Why can't you try to understand Lila? It's not like she purposefully didn't have time to plan the trip! You do stuff like that all the time! Don’t be such a hypocrite!_

_From Alya Cesaire: Lila knows you don't have an internship at Wayne Enterprises! She knows people there and they confirmed you don't work there! Why would you lie about it?! Just so you don't have to put in the effort for the trip? You're going to let the whole class down because you're too lazy to do it!_

_From Alya Cesaire: We're officially done Marinette. I'm tired of trying with you. If you're really going to be this way… I can't keep trying so hard when you obviously don't care. Forget being friends. You manipulated Adrien and Nino and the others in class you make everyday hell for Lila and expect me to be okay with all that?! Don't bothering calling anymore. Lose my number._

Marinette plopped down onto the park bench and stared at her phone. She felt Tikki place a reassuring touch and took a breath at the gesture. Marinette knew Alya wasn't her friend anymore. Marinette knew Alya believed Lila completely over her. She knew that even if Alya saw the truth and came to her senses, they wouldn't be the same anymore. Even though Marinette knew she would never have Alya as a friend again, it still hurt to see what Alya thought of her and see Lila manipulating her more and more.

Marinette took a shuddering breath, held back her tears, and deleted Alya's contact off her phone. Then, she went through her social media and blocked everyone in her class that hurt her and belittled her at Lila's request. Alya, Sabrina, Ivan, Mylene, Rose, Juleka… They seemed to be on the fence at first, but after Lila's lies, they decided that Marinette should be punished for being a bully by bullying her themselves.

She still had Adrien and Nino on her side, of course. The rest of the class stuck by her side, even when they weren't sure if Lila was telling lies or not. They believed Marinette by her character, not by whatever Lila said about her. Kim, Max, Alix and Nathaniel stood up for her when it was obvious Ms. Bustier wouldn't. Marinette had friends outside of the class, students who could see what Lila was doing and helped when they could, her parents, and the Waynes.

She didn't need fake friends who turned their back on her the minute someone changed the narrative. She would move on and move forward with her life.

Marinette patted Tikki on her head and closed her purse up. She took a breath and started walking across the street. She could see her parents moving around inside through the window and smiled. She would be alright. She had everything and everyone she needed to be happy.

"Look out!"

Marinette startled and turned just in time to see a flash of red before she was shoved, falling in the middle of the street, barely registering the bright lights racing towards her before she was encased by light herself.

~

Damian cursed as Jon tackled him to the mat. He bucked out from underneath him and dodged away when Jon tried to tackle him again.

"Thinking about your _lady friend_?" Jon teased as they circled each other. Damian had been off his game for the past _three hours_ , even since Marinette's last message about checking in was left unanswered. She usually didn't take so long to walk home, especially later at night, but he imagined her class problem could be bothering her more than they knew.

The last time he spoke to her about her class situation, it seemed they were all at a stalemate for what to do about the feud between them. She was hurt her classmates and friends turned on her so quickly and Damian had to stop himself from doing something stupid like partner up with Todd to take care of the lying snake causing his friend so much pain.

"I'm concerned about her safety," Damian admitted, relaxing his stance, and watching Jon land in front of him with a surprised expression on his face. "She has yet to check in, which is unlike her."

"Well, you said she was going for a walk before heading home, right? Maybe she has a lot on her mind. You do that too, you know?" Jon handed Damian a water bottle and they sat in silence for a moment, catching their breath from their extended sparring match.

"…I am still worried," Damian admits after a long silence between them.

He ignores whatever look Jon gives him in response to his words and checks his phone again. Is it strange to be concerned for a friend this strongly? He knows what it is to be concerned for the people who he cares about, and he knows that caring about someone comes with worrying and wanting them to be okay, but there was something different about how he felt about Marinette.

A half a year of talking over texting and video calls, and Damian felt like he was closer to Marinette than Jon sometimes. Talking to her made him… happy. He thought about her when he woke up and before he fell asleep. He drafted a dozen texts a day that he never sent because he felt he would bother her. He got distracted in class and in fights and everyday he saw something that reminded him of her.

_Oh, Marinette would think that dog is cute. Marinette would like this café. Marinette has a sweater that looks like this. The color of the sky right now looks like the sapphire blue of Marinette's eyes._

On and on and on his thoughts circled around her with no signs of stopping.

"I'm glad you have someone you care enough about to be worried, Damian." Jon knocked his shoulder with his own before falling back on the mat with a groan. "When can I meet this girl? Even Jason got to meet her before me. _Jason_."

"I'm sure you'll meet her eventually…" Damian paused, surprising himself with the sudden urge to have his friends meet and become close. He noticed that Jon and Marinette had a similar countenance, but never considered what it would be like with them both in the room. He imagined smiles and laughter and talking late into the night. "She's coming to visit this weekend," he finally said, nudging Jon with his foot in a rare show of affection. "I think she would like to meet you as well."

"That would be—" Jon cut off as a bright light flashed through the room and Damian barely registered the shape of the portal appearing on the ceiling before a figure fell out of it and collided with the floor, her head hitting with a sickening sound.

"Marinette!" Damian was at her side in an instant, checking her over. Her head wasn't bleeding, but she was unconscious, and something had obviously happened if she got teleported back to the cave.

"Well, fuck. Is that her?" Jon asked, hovering concerned by Damian's side.

"Go get Alfred and whoever else is here. Tell them what happened," Damian snapped at his friend and was relieved when Jon squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before flying off.

"Damian," Tikki's sweet voice startled him out of his assessment of Marinette's head and he found her poking out of her purse.

"Tikki. What happened? Why did Marinette get sent here? We haven't received any alerts on akumas tonight," Damian clipped out, still holding onto Marinette like she would disappear out of his arms.

"There wasn't an akuma… Marinette was walking across the street when someone… pushed her in the way of a truck. She wasn't hit," Tikki explained quickly at Damian's panicked expression. "Her instincts kicked in and the sudden surge of energy after such a draining day must've knocked her out."

Tikki flew over to Marinette's face, brushing a paw gently across her cheek.

"She'll be okay. She didn't hit her head too hard, though she'll probably be out of it for a while. Someone will need to get in contact with her parents before they worry."

"I can handle that, Tikki," Alfred announced as he swept into the room with Jon at his side, kneeling by Marinette's and checking her head with sure fingers. "You are correct that her head injury is mild. She should be fine in a couple of hours, though she will probably have a headache and a tender spot for a while. Master Damian, if you will bring Miss Marinette back to her rooms, I will inform the house that she has arrived for her visit early. Jon, will you assist me in rounding up the household into the kitchen?"

"Sure thing!" Jon piped up, staring as Damian eased Marinette into his arms before picking her up gently. "I'll go round 'em up!"

He disappeared quickly, Alfred and Damian following. Damian split off, Marinette secure in his arms. Her head rested against his collarbone and she curled into him, making his heart stutter as he walked through the halls to her room.

She hadn't been back since they got it refurnished and decorated for her. He wondered what she would think of it once she woke up. Would she like the books he filled her bookshelf with? Or the fluffy red and black spotted robe and slippers Jason got her? Dick picked out a trunk full of blankets she could pick from since she got cold easily, and Tim prepped a workstation similar to the one she had in her room that was in the background whenever they video called.

Damian laid her on the bed and tried to remove his arms from around her without disturbing her, but she shifted and made it hard for him to pull away. He found after a moment of trying to maneuver her that he didn't really want to.

He sighed and made himself comfortable leaning against the headboard with Marinette still wrapped up in his arms, her head cushioned on his stomach. Tikki curled up on Marinette's collarbone and Damian felt himself relax completely for the first time in months.

That was, until Marinette's phone started vibrating like crazy, too inconsistent to be a call, but too frequent to not be urgent. Damian retrieved the phone from out of her purse and muted it.

Then, he noticed the messages that were opened on the screen.

"Marinette was distracted by that when she was crossing the street," Tikki whispered, sitting on Damian's arm now, looking upset. "She deleted Alya and her other classmates that have been saying things like that to her off all her social media. She was heading inside when someone called out to her and pushed her. I don't know if they were trying to help her or hurt her, but as soon as it registered that there was a truck about to hit, Marinette was teleported back here."

Damian looked at the notification alert going off again and hesitated to open the texts.

“Marinette won’t mind you looking, Damian," Tikki said, patting Damian's arm comfortingly. "She trusts you and would tell you anyways, and maybe it will tell us more about what happened.”

Damian took another hesitating glace at Marinette's peaceful face before he opened the texts.

_From Unknown: Mairnete!_

_From Unknown: Are youokay??? You disapaered as soon as the truck passed_

_From Unknown: I tripped when I called out to you I swear I didn’t mean to push you please tell me you’re okay!_

_From Unknown: Your parents hvant seen you are you okay pleajgd respidn_

Damian let his fingers hover over the keypad for a moment before typing.

_From Marinette: who is this?_

_From Unknown: Marinette!!! I’m so glad you’re okay! Where are you are you hurt? The truck didn’t see you and didn’t stop but you were gone when I found my glasses_

_From Unknown: oh you must’ve deleted my number too_

_From Unknown: I understand. This is Sabrina. I saw you in the park and wanted to talk, but I saw you walk in front of that truck so I yelled and then I tripped when you suddenly stopped and I pushed you_

_From Unknown: I’m so sorry I swear it was an accident. Are you okay? Your parents said you were with some friends so you’re really okay?_

_From Unknown: I am Marinette’s friend. She’s fine. She was startled and needed to lie down. She hit her head but should be okay. Thank you for your concern._

_Unknown typing…_

Damian turned off the phone after a few minutes of the Sabrina girl typing and looked at Tikki while he messaged the family group chat.

“I’ll have Drake pull up any cameras around the area to see if the girl is telling the truth. We can have all the facts ready for Marinette when she wakes up.” Damian already had a list of things he would do if it turned out this Sabrina was intentionally trying to hurt Marinette.

“Thank you, Damian. I really appreciate everything you and your family do for Marinette. I know she’s happier talking with you some nights than she had been the whole past year of school. Lila’s constant attempts of hurting Marinette on top of Hawkmoth’s attacks… I don’t know if she would be able to keep it up without your help.” Damian looked down at the girl in his arms again and thought about the weight of that statement. Marinette was happier talking to someone as socially stunted and abrasive as _him_ than she had been at her school for a _year_.

Sometimes he forgot how much the drama in Marinette's class affected her. Damian never had to care about his classmates because he never bothered becoming friends with them. Marinette, however, made friends everywhere she went. She talked easily with strangers and listened attentively when someone was speaking. She was always willing to help, even at her own expense, and made everyone feel at ease. To think someone looked at her and made it their life's mission to ruin her smile, just because she wouldn't play along as a fly in a spider's web… Damian would do a lot of things for his family, and he was discovering that he was willing to do even more if it meant protecting Marinette.

“Marinette is stronger than she first seems. I would not be surprised if she takes over the world before she graduates. She certainly has the means to,” he finally said, feeling something in himself settle as he considered the depth of his emotions he had for Marinette.

“You have a point there," Tikki agreed, looking at Marinette fondly. "My Chosen has a strong soul… it’s something you two have in common, Damian. I'm glad she found you to look after her when she needs you, and I thank you for sticking to her even when she doesn't.”

Something in her eyes made Damian blush and tighten his grip on Marinette. He let his eyes fall shut and listened to her steady breathing, unknowingly matching his own to hers, not bothering to respond to Tikki's words.

“It’s getting late. You must be tired as well, Damian," Tikki whispered. He watched as she hovered in front of his face, staring at him intently. "Why don’t you rest? I’ll look after both of you.” Tikki pressed a kiss against Damian’s head and he felt his eyelids grow heavy. With Marinette warm and safe in his lap, he found himself easing into sleep faster than ever.

~

Damian woke up to Marinette shifting in his arms and was instantly awake.

“Marinette?”

“…ouch,” she mumbled, keeping her eyes closed. She made no move to get up, and part of Damian was happy to lie there with her in his arms for a little longer.

“How are you?” He asked, realizing that Tikki wasn't in the room and they were alone.

“My head hurts," she admitted, pouting. Damian found his eyes drawn to her lips and looked away just as quick, willing the heat from his cheeks. "Feels achy… I didn’t actually get hit by a truck, right? That would hurt _way_ more.”

“You teleported before the truck hit. Someone was there, though I don’t think they noticed you teleporting.”

Marinette jerked out of his hold and hovered partially over his lap, staring up at him with wide, sapphire eyes that he felt himself get lost in the longer he looked.

“Who was it?” The panicked look on her face overrode his startle at her closeness and he wondered if Drake found any footage of the accident to ease her worries.

“Sabrina from your class." She looked surprised and still worried but didn't interrupt as he continued. "She messaged you afterwards and Tikki assured me that I should read them to see what happened. She saw you at the park and wanted to speak with you when she saw you step in the street where a truck was speeding. She called out to warn you and tripped, pushing you further in harm's way. You disappeared and she seemed genuinely concerned.”

"She didn't see anything?" Marinette laid on her side next to him, one arm propping her head up so they were still at eyes level, and he found it surprising that they were both so at ease around each other after not seeing each other in person for months.

"She claims she dropped her glasses and couldn't see anything until after you disappeared. Drake should have found any footage of the incident to tell if your classmate is telling the truth." Damian handed over her phone and laid down properly beside her.

Marinette hummed while she read Sabrina's messages and they laid in silence for a little while, Marinette lost in thought and Damian lost in her.

"I believe her. Sabrina is a good person, though she has questionable taste in friends. She's more of a follower type who prefers to have a strong personality around to make decisions and follows by example. She and Chloe were friends before Chloe moved to New York, and Lila and Chloe are similar in some ways, so Sabrina chose to follow Lila than be alone. I'd like to see what Tim finds to make sure she didn't see anything, but if she didn't freak out over me disappearing into a magic portal, I have a feeling she didn't see me."

"I agree. Shall we find Tikki and Tim, then? They can catch us up on the last," Damian looked at the clock, "four hours."

"You've been here with me for four hours?"

"I… may have fallen asleep as well."

"Oui. Let's go find everyone else, mon oisillon." Marinette continued to talk as she left the room, leaving Damian behind, choking on his breath, ears burning red, and heart beating in his throat.

~

Marinette collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

After two hours of checking the video footage of what happened with Tim, they determined that Sabrina was conveniently turned away when Marinette fell through the portal, and they had nothing to worry about. Marinette spent most of those two hours joking around with Damian's friend, Jon, who was like a sunshine puppy boy. Never mind that he was _Superboy_ and he knew her identity as Ladybug since she teleported in front of him and Damian, Marinette was overjoyed to have someone to tease Damian with and another perspective to discuss superhero/homework balancing.

After checking in with Bruce and the other bird-boys who were all on a mission of their own, Marinette said farewell to Alfred, Tim, Jon, and Damian and called on Kaalki to portal back to her room.

Luckily, she woke feeling well rested despite being unconscious for four hours and then only sleeping for a little while before being woken up from her alarm. She couldn't help but remember how warm and comfortable she felt waking up in Damian's arms, their souls intertwining playfully as they slept.

She would have to ask Wayzz more about how souls interact with each other. Hers and Adrien's did swirl together, but there was a clear distinction between them when they did. Hers and Damian's… their souls _melted_ together when they were around each other… Their colors bleed into one another and she could sometimes see a glint of gold sparking if she focused hard enough. It was _very_ distracting.

Marinette stared in the mirror for a moment, hair down still as she was about to put in her usual pigtails. Something about today felt different. She felt… more confident? Looking in her reflection, she felt strong and sure of herself. Marinette shook her hair out more and braided her hair in two braids, letting them fall over her shoulders.

She pulled out one of her new outfits she had been working on for herself: a long red skirt with black polka dots, a white shirt tucked in, accented with black suspender, black shoes, and red ribbons in her hair.

"Wow! You look great, Marinette!" Tikki chimed in, peering over Marinette's shoulder with wide eyes.

"Thanks, Tikki! I don't know why, but today I feel…" Marinette trailed off, suddenly thinking about taking a selfie of her outfit, something she hadn't done in _months_. Ever since Lila started making life hell for Marinette, she stopped having the time or patience for little things that made her happy. Making outfits for herself in between commissions, taking selfies in her mirror to post before school when she felt nice, and bringing her friends treats in the morning… Why has Marinette been punishing _herself_ on top of the things that Lila continued to do to her? The past year, Marinette almost let Lila win by not living the life she wanted to live, but no more. Marinette was going to beat Lila every day by continuing to _live_ , just as she used to.

Marinette posed cutely, one hand in the deep pocket hidden in the folds of her skirt, and her head tilted to the side, red lips set in a shining smile.

With a look at the clock, Marinette grabbed a little ladybug purse Adrien bought her and transferred all of her stuff there.

"I feel like how I feel as Ladybug, Tikki. I feel capable and confident and happy. So, we're just going to roll with it and see where this takes us!"

"I'm all for seeing more of this Marinette!" Tikki flew into the ladybug purse and Marinette missed the happy tears in the little bug's eyes as she grabbed her phone and headed down to the bakery half an hour earlier than usual.

"Good morning, Maman! Papa! Can I take some pastries to class with me today?" Marinette grabbed a chocolate croissant from one of the trays and poured a small cup of coffee to go with it as she started uploading her mirror selfie to her social media.

When no response came after a few moments, she looked up and was startled at the emotional looks on her parent's faces.

"Oh! Maman, Papa, is everything alright? What's wrong?" She was at their side in an instant, letting them pull her into their arms.

"It's nothing, mon ange. You look extraordinary today. Is there a special occasion?" Her Maman brushed against her bangs affectionately and Marinette beamed at them.

"No special occasion! I realized I haven't tried out this outfit I made a while ago and got really excited! Do you like it? Look! I gave the skirt these deep pockets and…"

Marinette and her parents talked for twenty minutes as they filled a pastry box with sweets and Marinette gave them tight hugs and sweet kisses before skipped out the door.

"…It's been so long since she's gone to school with a smile," Tom said to his wife, holding her tight and taking a shuddering breath before another customer came through the door.

Marinette was earlier to school than she had been for a long time, and as she walked across the courtyard, ignoring Lila and their posse, she felt her spirits dim a bit when she realized the last time she was early, she spent the time goofing off with Alya.

"Whoa, Dudette! You're looking fine today! Showing off a new design?" Nino swung an arm over her shoulder, and she brightened up, shaking off the thought.

"Yep! I was feeling very Ladybug this morning," Marinette said, knocking their shoulders together and giggling when Nino laughed, gaining the attention of some of their classmates across the courtyard.

" _They're not worth your time_ ," Damian had told her when she explained that she finally deleted her old friends' numbers and social media accounts. " _You're better off living your life without a reminder of their existence._ "

"If anyone should be feeling like Ladybug, it would be you, Marinette." Adrien was suddenly at her side as well and she felt her heart fill even more.

"I saw your post earlier,” Alix said as a greeting behind him, talking a danish from the box and skating around the group as she spoke.

“It seems like a lot of people like the style,” Nathaniel said, clutching his sketchbook in his arms. "It suits you really well, Marinette."

“You look great, Dupain-Cheng!” Kim said, ruffling the top of her head gently, being sure not to mess up her hair too much. “Ladybug should watch out! You’re stealing her spots!” Adrien and Nino choked on their laughs while Marinette shot them a glare.

“Ah, yes. I saw that Jagged Stone commented as well, and you gained a lot of attention from his fans. I expect a 243% increase in your follower count by the end of the day, Marinette,” Max added, taking a scone.

"Mon dieu," Marinette groaned, leaning against Adrien as she thought of the havoc Jagged must've caused for her. "I guess I haven't posted anything like this since Jagged started following me… Oh well! Too late to do anything about it now! Want a pastry, Kim?"

"Marinette!"

Marinette startled, nearly dropping the pastry box, but Nino grabbed it out of her hands before she even realized she was going to drop it. She glared at his teasing smile and turned to Sabrina with surprise.

"Good morning, Sabrina. What's up?" Marinette honestly wasn't sure what Sabrina could want with her. She tried keeping Sabrina from Lila when Chloe left, but Sabrina stuck with the crowd quicker than Marinette thought she would. She never did anything against Marinette, but she never stopped the others from coming after her either. Even if she was concerned about what happened the night before, Marinette was surprised she would tempt her place in Lila's pack just to check on her in full view of the others.

Sabrina came to a halt right in front of Marinette with a determined expression on her face. She held out a small box.

"I want to apologize for what happened yesterday. I swear I was only trying to help, but you got hurt because of me. I know your friend said you only hit your head a little, but it must've been bad enough that you guys left too quickly for me to notice." Adrien and Nino tensed beside her. Uh oh. Marinette forgot to tell them about her near run in with a speeding truck and her visit with the Waynes.

To delay _that_ conversation for as long as she could, Marinette accepted the box and opened it, gasping at the deep green ribbon folded neatly inside.

"I've been thinking about a lot of things since Chloe moved, and I regret letting Lila convince me that I would be alone if I didn’t agree to be on her side. You offered to sit with me every day at lunch that week, but I still doubted that you wouldn’t get sick of me after a while and then I’d really be alone. After last night, I realized I was wrong to believe Lila. You’re a good person, Marinette, and you are someone I really look up to. When you left before I found my glasses, all I could think about was that you’d think I pushed you on purpose because that’s the behavior you’re used to receiving from half the class. How terrible is that? Knowing that someone you admire goes through so much that being cruel is something you’re used to now! I hope you can forgive me.”

Marinette was speechless. That was not what she was expecting to happen at all, though she was touched that Sabrina gathered the courage to be so upfront with her.

Marinette found herself smiling easily and accepted Sabrina's ribbon.

“There’s nothing to forgive. I believe you didn’t intend to hurt me. You’re a good person, Sabrina. Would you like a pastry? I brought them today just for my friends.”

After a quick, hushed explanation to Adrien and Nino about what happened, Sabrina tying Marinette's hair into one single braid with the green ribbon, and a few pastries later, the group headed up to their classroom to begin the day with their newest addition. So much had happened already and it was just eight in the morning. Hopefully, Marinette thought to herself as she reached the door, the rest of the day will go by peacefully and—

"Oof." Marinette stumbled into whoever was standing in the doorway and was grateful when the person caught her around the waist and kept her from falling. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you—"

"Marinette." Marinette whipped her head up and met vibrant emerald eyes.

"Damian!" Marinette couldn't explain the way she felt, staring up into Damian's eyes. There was something _different_ about today. Why couldn't she look away? "What are you doing here?"

"Marinette!" She startled at the familiar voice and pulled away despite every cell in her being telling her not to. Tim stood at the front of the class with Ms. Bustier in a business suit and a sly smile on his face.

"Tim! What are you two doing here?" She stepped into the classroom, letting her friends crowd around her, Nino and Adrien flanking her immediately again with Kim, Alix, Max, Nathaniel, and Sabrina hovering nearby. The rest of the class was already sitting down, staring at the group with confusion.

"Monsieur Drake will explain his purpose in a moment, Marinette. Please take your seats," Ms. Bustier said, leaning against her desk with a gleam in her eye that surprised Marinette. Ever since Lila started making everyone's lives hell, Ms. Bustier stopped looking at her except when she was disappointed.

Marinette gave Damian a confused glance, but he just smiled and jerked his head to the empty seats in the back. The class settled down, Lila being suspiciously quiet in the front of the class.

"Class, today we have received great news!" Ms. Bustier started, gesturing to Tim. "Monsieur Drake is from Wayne Enterprises Incorporated, and has an invitation he would like to present to the class."

"Thank you, mademoiselle. Hello, everybody. I am Tim Drake, CEO of WayneCorp, and this is my brother, Damian." Max whipped around in his seat to give Marinette a wide-eyed look and she shrugged sheepishly. Now her entire class knew she was involved with the Waynes… Mon dieu. "I recently became aware of the situation here in Paris and found that a majority of your class has been victimized by Paris's villain, Hawkmoth." Some of the students in the class started shifting nervously in their seats. Marinette was so confused. Was this their way of helping her with her Lila problem? Was it a coincidence? The way Damian kept sending her deliberate glances, there was no way he didn't know what was going on if he joined Tim all the way here, right?

"I am from Gotham," Tim continued, completely enrapturing the class with his calm presence, "one of the most dangerous and villain infested cities in the world. I know what it's like to be targeted and to deal with the trauma of being a victim. This is why I have put together a charity to assist those who personally and intimately deal with supervillains regularly. Most of Paris falls under this category, I know, but your class is different. You are a concentrated group of students who have been taken advantage of by Hawkmoth for years. I know you have your heroes that save the day, but Ladybug's Miraculous Cure can't erase the damage being under a psychological villain does to you. Because of this, I decided to reach out to personally invite your class to the first, hopefully of many, charity gala for Victims of Villains. This charity event will be to show the rest of the world the type of trauma we go through every time there is an attack, no matter if it's direct or not. Since you are minors, you will not be asked to speak to anyone about anything you do not want to, but any testimonies you would like to give would be helpful in spreading the message that there are victims of villains everywhere, and a fund like this could help victims with their very future. Whether it be medical bills, assisting with the loss of a job, getting psychological help, or helping with schooling, this fund can aid victims who are having a hard time moving on with their lives and support them until they can get back on their feet.

"I know it can be hard to talk about traumatizing events, and that you don't remember what happened in the time you were akumatized, but that doesn't mean the trauma doesn’t exist, does it?" A look around the classroom let Marinette see the vulnerable and self-conscious looks her classmates had on their faces, no longer looking at Tim or Damian directly, but she knew they were listening intently, even Alya and Lila, though Marinette suspected Lila had other thoughts running through her mind besides being akumatized willingly.

"This gala will be held in New York City next Friday, but I invite you to come and enjoy yourselves for the whole week. If you agree to come, all expenses will be paid for throughout the week, including airfare and meals. You will also be provided with an allowance to spend however you like as a thank you from myself personally for coming. Your families are welcome to come as well for extra supervision and to attend the gala free of charge, as long as they are cleared with WayneCorp security.

"I understand that this is very sudden, and you may want time to think a decision like this through with your friends and families, so you will have until Sunday to sign up and get approved through Wayne Enterprises International building here in Paris. All you have to do is visit anytime during business hours between now and Saturday, and you will be added to the passenger list for an airplane leaving from Paris to New York Sunday at noon. Final registration will be Saturday at six pm. Your teacher has a detailed itinerary, information for you and your families about the gala, and charity and contact information from the WayneCorp Paris branch if you have any questions or concerns.

"I sincerely hope you decide to join us, and I look forward to seeing some familiar faces at the gala next Friday. Thank you for your time and attention this morning. I will be in Paris until the flight on Sunday, so ask for me if you have any more delicate questions or concerns about Victims of Villains. Goodbye for now."

She caught Damian's eyes and finally understood. This wasn't just their solution to the class trip or her Lila problem, this was a way for them to help Hawkmoth's victims directly without Batman and his team getting involved. They kept saying how they wanted to help, but there were so many barriers between them and Paris… They really developed a whole charity… to help so many people… to help _her_.

"Marinette, are you ok?" Alix, who was sitting next to Marinette, put a hand on her shoulder gently. Marinette sniffed and wiped at her cheek with her hand as Damian and Tim walked out the door.

"I'll be right back," she responded quickly, dashing from her seat and out the door before anyone could say anything. She didn't see Tim and Damian in the hall, and she panicked for a moment, thinking she missed them, but Tim said he'd be in Paris until Sunday, but Damian never said anything so what if he left and Marinette missed him before she could—

"Marinette?" Ms. Bustier's voice broke Marinette out of her spiraling thoughts and Marinette took a breath before facing her old favorite teacher. "I understand if you'd like to catch up with your friends, but I wanted to thank you for taking responsibility for the class trip and looking out for your classmates despite your… problems with some of them. You were the better person here and I'm proud of you for putting your personal grudges behind you for the better of the whole class."

Marinette was frozen. Ms. Bustier… really just said that to her?

"Excuse me? Ms. Bustier, I had nothing to do with monsieur Drake's involvement with our class. I have mentioned the akuma attacks on our class and how we probably weren’t getting a class trip this year, but they came up with this all on their own, so if you want to thank someone for saving the class trip, you should be thanking them. Not me."

During Marinette's speech, Ms. Bustier's smile faded and that disappointed look Marinette was so used to receiving from her was back in place.

"I see… It seems I misjudged you, Marinette. You are excused from class to speak to monsieur Drake and his brother if you pass along my thanks for considering the class for this opportunity." Without waiting for an answer, Bustier went back into the classroom and closed the door behind her, leaving Marinette alone in the hall.

She pulled out her phone and called Damian. He answered on the first ring.

"We're outside," he said before she could say anything.

She hung up on him without a response and ran down the stairs and out the front doors to find Tim and Damian standing beside a fancy black car.

She tackled Tim, who was closest to her, in a crushing hug. He laughed before wrapping his arms around her just as tight and she took a shuddering breath.

"Thank you," she mumbled into his neck, finally pulling away just enough to look him in the eyes. "You didn't have to include my class in your charity, but you did anyway."

"It wasn't just me. The whole family got together and pulled all the strings we had to kickstart this charity and figure out how to pull your class. This is a project I've been thinking about starting for a long time. We just finally had the time and reason to start it."

"I know it wasn't all for me, but thank you for helping with the class trip, and starting a charity to assist victims from Hawkmoth's akumas is _brilliant_ and I—"

"You got that a little wrong," Damian spoke up, still leaning against the car and looking at her in a, dare she say, _fond_ manner that made her soul swirl tight, though his electric green still managed to dance with hers still.

At her confused look, he smiled, and her heart _hurt_ it felt so full and happy and—

"It was all for you. Starting the project and including your class. It was all for you," he said, emerald eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

Marinette took a deep breath before launching herself at him. He caught her easily, wrapping her up just as tight as she held him, and she struggled to catch her breath.

"On another note, you look absolutely amazing, Marinette," Tim cut in, tone carefree. "I guess we haven’t seen you so dolled up before. I can't wait to see what you show up to the gala in." Marinette pulled away from Damian with a shriek.

"Mon dieu! I have to start designing! I only have a week! Oh, I have to get fabric and supplies and—"

"Then I'll look forward to seeing you," Damian said, grabbing her hand and pulling her closer again. Marinette cut off with a startled look, but not at their closeness. Every time they met, they seemed to draw closer together until they were next to each other. "I'm going back this evening. I have… other obligations to attend to until then."

"Oh," Marinette said, feeling her spirits dim. She was being silly, wasn't she? Of course Damian had other things to do back in Gotham. Just because Tim was able to stay in Paris for the weekend didn’t mean Damian was as well and she shouldn't have assumed, but… Why was it getting harder and harder to say goodbye to him whenever they had to part ways?

"Whoever decides to come to New York will be placed in a hotel there, but you are invited to stay with us. In Gotham. At our home. In your room." Damian's ears turned a burning shade of red and he pursed his lips at the end like he does when he's aggravated, and Marinette fought her smile.

"Oh! That would be amazing! I was planning on visiting this weekend, anyways, wasn't I? I guess I'll have to talk to my parents about extending the trip a little bit."

After a moment of silence, Marinette pulled away.

"I need to get back to class before they think you kidnapped me or something," she joked.

Tim gave her a quick hug and got into the car, leaving her and Damian standing together.

"Three more days?" She asked, pulling him into a hug again. She closed her eyes and breathed him in.

"Three more days," he said, pulling away and hesitating a moment before pulling the car door open and climbing inside without looking back at her.

She watched their car drive away with a small wave until they were out of view. She let her hand fall and sighed.

"Marinette?" Tikki asked, peaking out of her purse.

"I'm ok, Tikki. Just… " Marinette shook herself, letting her soul morph back into herself, the green tinges disappearing all too quickly. "Let's get back to class before Lila starts telling people I'm in a harem or something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Thank you all for all the lovely comments and kudos! I hope you all enjoy the chapter and look forward to the finale! Final word count: 11536


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